


When the Roots are Deep

by LovingGwendolaj



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Braime - Freeform, Eventual Smut, F/M, Off the Grid, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:55:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 29,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27073084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovingGwendolaj/pseuds/LovingGwendolaj
Summary: When Jaime bought a large piece of land for his dad’s development company he wasn’t expecting to find a cabin in the middle of 40 acres of woods, nor was he expecting to find a strange woman there, living off the grid. But what he expected least of all was the way she intrigued him and the almost instant connection he felt for her.
Relationships: Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth
Comments: 215
Kudos: 307





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was so excited to finish Tarth XXX and not have 3 WIPs that I’m trying to complete on the go - and then this new idea struck me and it had to come out, so here I am back up to 3 again 😂😂
> 
> I don’t anticipate this one will be super long, but we’ll see how it goes. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy the first chapter. Thank you so much for checking it out ❤️😘

The forest was peaceful and city boy Jaime Lannister was enjoying it far more than he ever would have expected. He was used to the hustle and bustle of big city life, cars whizzing by, horns honking, people brushing past each other on the sidewalk. It was strange to be in such a quiet place, where the crunch of twigs under his step and the calming sounds of nature were the only thing echoing through the woods. 

His father had asked him to take a look at a piece of land they had just purchased and make sure it was dry enough to bring in the big machinery to clear it later that week. Jaime had been the one who found the land - 40 acres, an hour outside the city. It was exactly the type of property that Tywin Lannister would quickly turn into a large, upscale subdivision. Jaime had been proud of himself for finding it and happy that Tywin had seemed pleased. It wasn’t often he did anything that made his dad smile. 

He had long ago determined that the property was ready to be cleared. But for some reason he continued to wander through the trees, going deeper and deeper into the woods. A voice in his mind warned him that he could get lost, but his phone tracked the location of his SUV so he could always just follow that back if he did lose his way. 

Jaime climbed up over a mossy log and then moved down into a ravine with a creek at the bottom. The water was crystal clear. He dipped his fingers in and found it ice cold. It was probably drinkable, but he didn’t risk it and instead took a swig from the stainless steel water bottle he was carrying. A squirrel hopped from one tree to the next, startling him, and Jaime laughed at his foolishness. 

There was always the chance he could run into a bear or something large, but it was just a fleeting thought he didn’t really concern himself with. He followed the stream for a while and soon found himself in a thicker area of brush. He considered turning back, but he pushed on for another 20 feet and suddenly things cleared and he gasped in shock. Right there in the middle of the forest was a cabin. 

It was small and simple, made out of logs, with wooden shingles covered in moss on the roof. It was clear right away that this wasn’t some abandoned shack - someone lived here. There were flannel shirts and jeans hanging on a clothesline and a table with animal furs and skins drying out. 

What the hell? He thought, creeping from the edge of the brush towards the front door. He stepped up onto the front deck and lightly wrapped on the door. “Hello?” He called out softly. There was no answer. 

Curiously he pushed the door open and peered inside. It was a single room with a bed in one corner, a table and chair in the other and what appeared to be the kitchen off to the right. Everything was clearly made by hand from the small wooden table and tree stump chair to the uncomfortable looking, lumpy bed. There were a large pair of hiking shoes sitting beside a pair of rubber boots that he was pretty sure would fit him. Who is this guy? Jaime wondered. It was easy to deduce that there was only one person living there. 

He closed the door gently and wandered around to the backside of the cabin. There was no one there but he could see a pathway towards the bush at the back and a spot where it opened up to walk through. Jaime looked around again and then followed the trail. It led back towards the creek so he crept along slowly. 

He heard a splash and froze, then quickly ducked behind a tree. Jaime wanted to get a look at this guy and decide if it might be safer to just sneak away and return with backup. He peered out from behind the tree just as the man popped his head out of the water and stood up. 

He had to cover his mouth to keep from gasping out loud. Those hips and curves and that full, round butt certainly did not belong to a man. He could only see the back of her, but he knew she was very tall, very slim - and he just could not take his eyes off that sexy ass on full display. 

Her skin was creamy white and even from a distance he could tell it would be soft and smooth to the touch. Her hair was blonde but cut very short. It was wet and smoothed down but it still looked uneven all over as if she’s just hacked at it with something sort of sharp. 

He slipped quietly back behind the tree again, before she turned around and saw him gawking at her. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen his share of gorgeous women, but the shock of finding her so unexpectedly and then accidentally seeing her naked had him buzzing - which made him feel like a total creeper, but he couldn’t help it. 

Jaime resisted the urge to sneak another peek and see what the rest of her body looked like and instead he came up with a plan. He waited long enough that she should be dried off and getting dressed and then loudly called out, “Hello? Is anyone here?” As he made his appearance. 

“Stop right there,” she said, reaching for something. Jaime’s heart started to pound when he realized there was now a hunting rifle aimed right at him. “Don’t take another step or I’ll shoot,” she warned. 

He believed her and held up his hands. “Fine. I won’t come any closer. But please put down the gun. I’m unarmed.” 

“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” She snapped, ignoring his request to lower her weapon. She held the gun on him with steady aim and confidence. Jaime looked her over from head to toe. She was tall, likely a bit taller than him, and with her body hidden under a pair of jeans and baggy flannel shirt and the short, choppy hair, she actually looked a bit masculine. There was a softness to her features that was very feminine though, her jaw, her cheekbones, her full lips, and her eyes. He wished he was closer so he could see them better because he had a feeling they were quite remarkable. 

“I could ask you the same question,” he finally replied, after he was done looking her over thoroughly. He didn’t hide the way he regarded her and he got the sense he had struck a nerve, but he wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. 

“What are you talking about?” She snapped. “You’re the one trespassing.” 

Jaime narrowed his eyes and looked at her curiously. “I’m afraid not. I just purchased this land, so I’m free to walk every inch of these 40 acres if I so choose.” 

Her pale face turned even more white. “H-How?” She stammered. “My dad owns - owned, this land.” 

“Well I guess he forgot to pay the taxes on it then,” Jaime shrugged. 

“Taxes,” she repeated. For the first time he saw the gun waver and she lowered it just a bit. 

“You know, property taxes?” He pressed. 

“Yeah I know what fucking property taxes are,” she hissed. “I just, I didn’t -“ Her voice trailed off and she looked momentarily defeated. “Well it doesn’t matter. I’ve been her for almost 2 years now. I’ll claim, uh, squatter’s rights.” Jaime laughed. “What’s so funny?” 

“You have to live somewhere for a decade, maybe even two decades, before squatter’s rights mean anything, and even then - it’s pretty tough to make a case.” He watched as she set her jaw stubbornly and he had to admire her persistence. “Listen,” Jaime said, softening his voice. He wasn’t a complete asshole and he knew what she was going through was bound to be difficult. “Can you just put down the gun and we’ll talk?” He took a few steps forward and she actually lowered the gun with a sigh. “My name is Jaime,” he said, reaching out a hand. 

She looked reluctant but she took it. “Brienne,” she replied. Her grip was firm and strong and while her hand had callouses it was still slim and delicate. Every part of her seemed to have this masculine/feminine contrast that deeply intrigued him. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Brienne,” he drawled, holding her hand a little longer than necessary. 

“Oh cut the fucking bullshit,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You’re doing a great job of reminding me why I’m quite content out here all alone.” 

Jaime had so many questions about that, but there were more pressing matters. “Fine I’ll get right to the point then,” he sneered. “In two or three days there will be a fuck ton of heavy trucks and logging machines showing up to clear this property.” He could tell she was struggling to hide her reaction. “My dad is building a new subdivision on this land. But he’s a fair man and I’m sure he would be more than happy to give you a brand new home to replace your cabin.” 

She was already shaking her head before he finished speaking. “No, no. I don’t want a fucking house in a subdivision. I want this. I want my cabin. I want to be left alone. I want you to go back to wherever you came from and leave me alone.” Her eyes were wild and Jaime suddenly felt very unsettled. He wondered if she had mental health issues? Perhaps she had suffered some sort or trauma? Maybe it was PTSD? It had to be something significant for a person to live off the grid like she was in such solitude. 

“Brienne,” he tried. 

“No, shut up, just go. If your bulldozers come they can just run me right over because I’m not leaving.” With her jaw still set stubbornly she grabbed her gun and the rest of her things and started hiking back towards the cabin. 

Jaime watched her leave and then finally released the breath he was holding. He looked around him at the trees and the crystal clear stream flowing by. He could see her there, bathing peacefully and the memory of her nude body made his groin stir. Jaime groaned at the absurdity of it. 

He looked around one more time and a calmness came over him. Jaime slipped a hand into his pocket and felt his phone. He pulled it out and stared at the screen. It had been a strange day and it was about to get even more so. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear. “Well? Are we good to go?” Tywin asked, without so much as a hello. 

“Not exactly,” Jaime replied. “I want this land,” he blurted out. “You know I’ve been looking for the right place to build a home and this is it.” He was once again holding his breath - waiting - anticipating the response that could not only change his life but also save this strange and intriguing woman from impending doom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who took a chance and checked out the first chapter. And thank you so much for the kudos and comments. If you’re still on the fence and are here to read the second chapter I hope the Braime banter will convince you to sick around 😂 Have a beautiful day 😘😘

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Tywin said. Well, it wasn’t exactly the reply Jaime was hoping for. “I’ve got the crew all lined up to start clearing the land. You were supposed to be there to see if it’s good to get started. It’s a simple yes or no.” 

Jaime sighed. “I know what I was supposed to do, but I’ve changed my mind. I really want this land. You’ve been bugging me for years to settle down, sell my bachelor pad -” His dad had always wanted Jaime to follow in his footsteps and be the face of the business when he stepped down, but he also expected his eldest son to be settled down and happily married with a family before that happened. And he didn’t like the fact that Jaime wanted neither of those things. His sister on the other hand, his twin - Cersei, she was everything Tywin wanted - in a son. There was a sexist side to dear daddy that just didn’t believe a woman was capable of everything a man could do and no matter what Cersei did to convince him she was up to the task Jaime knew their father would never give her the reins - not happily anyway. 

“Yeah, sell your bachelor pad for a nice home in the city, where you can start a family like your sister has, close to the office - not an hour away on 40 acres of forest,” Tywin interrupted. “What’s next? Are you going to trade in that Ruger you carry for a shotgun and build yourself a tree stand in the woods? Hunt your supper and live off the land,” he finished with a chuckle. 

“Maybe,” Jaime snapped. “What would it matter if I did?” 

“Here we go,” Tywin drawled. “This is what you always do - the exact fucking opposite of what I want from you. I ask you to put down some roots and instead all you want to do is travel all over the country looking for land like some damn wrangler. I try to set you up with that lovely Targaryen girl that would pave the way for an epic merger in the future and you waste your time with hookers and escorts.” 

“I think you have me confused with Tyrion,” Jaime huffed. His little brother was the one that paid for sex, not him. He could get it whenever he wanted it for free, he just made sure it wasn’t with women who wanted anything more than a one night stand or something casual. He just wasn’t interested in being tied down to any one woman. 

“At least Tyrion wants to be a part of this family,” Tywin jabbed. “You could care less about the legacy I’ve built.” 

“It’s not that I don’t care,” Jaime hissed. “Do we have to have this argument right now? We’ve been over it a million times and it’s not going to change the fact that I want this property and I’m going to keep it.” 

“Go ahead, fucking take it. But tell me why? Why do you want this land? You don’t like it in the country, you don’t even like the suburbs. You love living in the city - so what is it about this land that’s changed your mind?” Jaime knew his father was smart, intuitive, and knew him very well, so it came as no surprise that he wasn’t buying it. 

“I don’t know,” Jaime lied. “I just went for a walk in the woods, listened to the sounds of nature, saw some beautiful things -” He looked back over at the river where he’d seen Brienne bathing. “And it feels right.” 

“Sounds like a crock of shit to me,” Tywin quipped. “But do whatever you want Jaime,” he sighed. “You will anyway.” 

And there was the usual guilt trip. “I’ll find new land for you, I promise,” he said, trying to do some damage control. Surely he could find another large plot of land that they could develop instead and if he did Tywin would forget all about this in no time. 

“Don’t bother. I’ll get your sister to find our next purchase. Have fun with the ticks son.” There was a beep and the line disconnected. Jaime pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at it. He was used to Tywin hanging up on him, it happened all the time, but for some reason it was making him a lot more angry than it usually did. His grip on the phone tightened and he aggressively shoved it in his pocket before he threw it in the fucking river and couldn’t find his way back to his vehicle. Almost 40 years old and his dad could still push his buttons like he was just a kid. 

He tried a few calming breaths but the rage was boiling up inside of him. He had gotten really good at pushing it all down. He knew his dad was an asshole and he didn’t often take the insults to heart. But for some reason he just couldn’t control it right then. Maybe it was the peaceful environment that should have been calm and soothing, or maybe it was the fact that he was actually doing something kind for someone else, trying to be a decent human being, and his dad was acting like he was stabbing him in the back - whatever it was - he just couldn’t control it any longer. Jaime looked up at the tops of the trees and screamed a loud, angry roar, until his throat hurt. 

When he was done he actually felt a little better, other than the raw feeling in his throat that he was likely to pay for. “Fuck you,” he whispered, wishing he was brave enough to just say that to his dad’s face. He almost chuckled out loud imagining the look on Tywin Lannister’s face if he told him to go fuck himself.

All of a sudden a sound caught his ear. Jaime could hear the snapping of sticks and branches and realized quickly that Brienne was running towards him. She arrived breathless, weapon drawn, ready to shoot. “Woah,” Jaime said, trying to calm her. 

“Oh my God, what the fuck? Why did you scream like that?” she gasped. “I thought Boo-Boo was here.” 

“Boo who?” he asked. 

“Boo-Boo. He’s a giant bear I’ve been tracking for the past 22 and a half months,” she explained, starting to catch her breath. 

“Nope, no bear,” Jaime said, shaking his head. 

“Then what the hell is going on? It’s been quiet and peaceful here since I arrived and you’re in my woods for 5 minutes and there’s so much talking and loud screaming,” she grumbled. 

“Your woods,” he snorted, glaring at her. “Whatever.” 

Brienne glared back at him. “Can you just tell me what sort of pretty boy problems you have going on so the ridiculous screaming can stop?” 

“I’m not a pretty boy,” Jaime snapped. He didn’t like what she was implying with the comment and he wasn’t in the mood for another person to make him feel like a pile of shit. 

“Yeah, okay,” she drawled sarcastically, rolling her pretty blue eyes. 

His eyes flashed. “I can’t help the way I look anymore than you can,” he growled. 

Instantly there was a flicker of hurt on her face, but it was there for no more than a split second before she hid it. “Pretty boy - asshole,” she shrugged. “Take your pick.” 

“Are you always this damn prickly?” He sneered. Jaime sighed and continued, “I didn’t mean anything bad. Just that it’s genetics and we work with what we’re given. But it doesn’t define me as a person.” She remained stone faced while he rambled. Finally Jaime gave up. “Oh what’s the point. You’ve already made up your mind about me.” 

“Just tell me what the screaming was about already,” she grumbled. 

Part of him wanted to just say ‘fuck it’ and walk away, but he got the sense that there was a little bit of her that wanted a few minutes of conversation after being isolated so long. “My dad is a complete dick,” he said finally. 

“Well at least you have one,” she drawled bitterly. 

“You know what? Screw this. You’re the one who asked.” He started to walk past her with another scream of frustration building inside him. I should just let it out, he thought. It would serve her right. 

“Just - tell me,” Brienne said, her tone softer. He realized quickly it was the closest thing to an apology he was going to get. 

“It’s no big deal, I’m used to it,” he mumbled. When he glanced up she was giving him a look. “I just spent the last 7 minutes or so being told what a disappointment and embarrassment to the family I am.” 

“And that made you scream like a lunatic?” She asked, giving him a rather judgemental and condescending look. 

“Like you’re one to talk about overreacting. You’re the drama queen who has shut the entire world out and lives in complete solitude. What could have possibly been that bad to make you choose this life?” He challenged her. 

“That’s none of your business,” she said coldly, but calmly. He really expected to get more of a rise out of her and felt like an ass for being disappointed. He didn’t know what sort of horrible tragedy could have pushed her to make the choice she had, or what sort of possible mental illness she had that might affect her judgement. “Is this over? Can you leave now?” She asked. “I’m sorry your father is a jerk,” she added. “Maybe you can find a good overpriced shrink to help you sort out your daddy issues.” 

“If either one of us needs a - “ Jaime started, but he stopped himself. “I’m really starting to regret my fucking decision,” he snapped. 

“What decision?” She asked curiously. 

“Nevermind,” he grumbled. 

“What decision?” Brienne asked again, louder. 

Jaime allowed a smile to spread slowly across his face. She clearly wasn’t a fan of his so perhaps the news was going to irritate her even more than the idea of bulldozers knocking down her cabin - and that would bring him a great deal of satisfaction. “I decided to keep the property for myself and build a house,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “Looks like you and I are going to be seeing a lot of each other - neighbor.” Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. The more shocked she looked the bigger his smile got. “See you around,” he added, before turning to walk away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I understand that the concept of this AU likely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But for those who are reading first of all thank you so much, and secondly, this will mostly be a light, fluffy and romantic story with respect to Braime and their relationship. I don’t expect it to be super long, just a nice feel good story mostly. 
> 
> I took inspiration from their journey to kings landing for this chapter and the start of their relationship in this story. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading ❤️❤️❤️

“Wait,” she called out. Jaime stopped and turned around. “I don’t understand. Wh - what are you trying to say?” He was thoroughly enjoying the shocked look on her face. 

“I think I was pretty clear,” he said haughtily. 

“But, how? Can you really just decide you’re going to keep the land? Your dad is going to just let you have it?” She looked completely bewildered. 

“My dad owns subdivisions in 6 states, losing property to build another isn’t going to break him,” Jaime shrugged. He knew he sounded like a very entitled, spoiled brat but he was too annoyed with her to worry about how she perceived him. 

“But why? Why would you do this? You don’t strike me as the type of person who would enjoy living this far outside the city,” she said. 

“You don’t know me,” he sniffed, setting his jaw. She clearly had made up her mind already about what kind of person he was and Jaime wasn’t ready to change her mind quite yet. “I’ve been looking for land to build a house for a while and now that I’ve walked some of the property I think this will do nicely.” 

“I don’t believe you,” she accused. “What are you up to?” 

“Why are you so paranoid?” Jaime groaned. “I’m building a house way over there by the road, end of story.” 

Brienne still wasn’t buying it. “Are you going to kick me off the land? I don’t have money to pay you rent.” 

“I don’t need your money and you’re welcome to stay,” he shrugged. “But - “ he added as an idea came to him. “There is something I want, you can consider it your rent.” 

“Of course there is,” she muttered. 

“Dinner,” he said. 

“Dinner?” she repeated. 

Jaime nodded. “Once a week, we can start tonight.” He couldn’t explain the urge he felt to spend time with this woman, even when she frustrated him deeply, or the satisfaction of his brilliant plan to make that happen regularly. It was quite ridiculous, but he enjoyed the way she stood up to him and didn’t patronize him in any way, like most people in his life did. In a weird way, ironically, she treated him like his father did, but in a less harsh, kinder way. 

He wasn’t expecting the panic on her face and it almost knocked the wind out of him when she spoke with such terror in her voice. “I can’t leave here. I can’t go out there. I need to stay, so no dinner. I can’t. I just can’t.” 

“We don’t have to go anywhere,” he said calmly. He lifted up his phone. “There’s DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, Delivery Hero - we just place an order and they bring it. We can eat in your cabin, or my house once it’s built. Wherever you’re most comfortable.” 

“Oh,” she muttered, looking much calmer. “I still don’t understand. Surely you have lots of friends, a girlfriend, wife, family - plenty of people you could eat dinner with. Why me?” Jaime considered the question for a moment. “You’re not going to fix me if that’s what you’re trying to do. I’ve chosen this life, there’s nothing wrong with me. I want to be here.” 

It didn’t take a professional to recognize that there was much more to it than she was willing to admit. The way she panicked at the idea of leaving the woods meant there was something wrong - whether she knew it or not. But the idea of fixing her hadn’t crossed his mind at all. He honestly just wanted to spend time with her, but he wasn’t ready to admit that to her because he still didn’t understand it himself. He just felt drawn to her and while he probably could have resisted it - he didn’t want to. “It’s just dinner,” he shrugged. “No big deal. We eat, we talk a bit and I leave.” There was suspicion all over her face and he couldn’t blame her. “Listen, if we’re going to share this land I think we should get to know each other a bit so we can co-exist peacefully.” 

“The only thing you need to know about me is that I want to be alone,” she grumbled. 

“It’s once a week, I’ll agree to every other week if you prefer - see, I’m willing to compromise,” he said proudly. “Besides, you might find you’ll learn to enjoy my company.” 

“Fine, whatever, let’s just get this over with,” Brienne muttered. 

“Great, I’m starving,” Jaime said. “What do you feel like? Pasta? Burgers? Sushi? Pizza?” 

There was a different look on her face, something he hadn’t seen since he’d met her. She actually seemed a bit - excited. The look faded quickly and Jaime knew she was trying to hide it. “Any of those sounds fine,” she said dryly. Jaime guessed that it had been a very long time since she’d eaten from a restaurant, which made him wonder what she did eat and how she got supplies? So many questions. He wasn’t sure she would answer any of his inquiries right away, but over time he would find out everything he wanted to know. 

Maybe that’s it, he thought. Maybe I’m just really curious about her lifestyle. “Well burgers and fries it is,” Jaime announced. There was a really great burger place about 15 miles down the road and he’d ordered delivery from them many times. He tapped on his screen and quickly ordered them both a bacon cheese burger, fries, a bud light and a slice of their homemade brownie cheesecake. “Done,” he said. “They will be here in 34 minutes.” He caught a glimpse of the excitement again before she quickly hid it once more. “Did you want to walk to the road with me to wait?” 

“Nope,” Brienne said quickly. “I’ll head back to my cabin and wait there. You know where to find me.” Jaime watched her walk away with a smile. He had no idea what was going on in his head or why he was so damn intrigued, but he felt so light, practically buzzing with the anticipation of sharing dinner with her. He’d dated gorgeous actresses, sexy supermodels and many smart, beautiful, interesting women - yet he’d never felt the same tingles with any of them as this tall, scruffy haired, baggy plaid-shirted, hermit in the woods was making him feel. 

By the time he walked back to the road where his car was parked he still had to wait 15 minutes for the food to arrive. Once the delivery guy took off Jaime headed back into the woods, hoping he actually could find the cabin again. He found the river and followed it just to be safe. She was chopping wood outside when he arrived and he felt his groin stir watching her expertly wield the axe and perfectly split the wood in two. What is happening to me? He wondered. She might as well have been twerking in a thong with the way his body was responding - although when he actually conjured up that image he ended up with a little chub on. 

“Dinner has arrived,” he announced, needing a distraction before things got worse. 

Brienne nodded. “Come inside,” she said, disappearing into the cabin. When Jaime entered he noticed she had set up the table for two with a lantern in the middle for light. He hadn’t noticed a second chair earlier and wondered where it came from, but he didn’t ask about it. He set the bags down on the table and started pulling out their food. 

Brienne took a seat and opened the container with her food inside. “When’s the last time you had french fries?” He asked. 

“I made some a few weeks ago,” she replied, before picking one up and popping it into her mouth. 

“Really?” Jaime asked, not expecting that at all. 

She nodded. “You would be surprised what I can do with a campfire and the right tools.” 

“But where did you get the oil and the potatoes?” He asked. 

“It doesn’t matter,” she said quickly. “These are really good,” she added, trying to distract him from the question. 

“Seriously, do you go to town for supplies? How do you get there? How do you afford it?” He hadn’t noticed any sort of vehicle, but there was the chance she stored it somewhere else. With her reaction earlier when she thought he wanted her to go out for dinner he couldn’t imagine her shopping, but maybe it was different because it was a necessity.  
“Can we just eat?” She snapped. “I agreed to dinner, not to the third degree.” 

Jaime shrugged and took a bite of his burger. He didn’t want to push too hard and risk her shutting him out completely. She didn’t know him at all and it made sense that she didn’t want to share her secrets with a stranger. He could only manage three bites before he had to ask another question. While she was obviously comfortable with silence, he was not. “What do you miss the most?” He asked. “There must be something.” 

She looked up and glared at him with her stunning blue eyes. Just when he was sure she wasn’t going to speak she did, very softly. “I miss my dad and my dog Chewie. But they’re both dead so it doesn’t matter. I have everything I need here.” 

“What kind of dog was he?” Jaime asked, hoping to keep the conversation going. 

“A beagle.” There was a lightness in her eyes that made them even more beautiful in the glow of the lantern. “He was such a good dog. Loyal and sweet.” 

“My brother has a whippet named Boris,” he said. “Follows him everywhere. They’re practically the same height,” he added with a smile. 

Brienne looked rightly confused. “I didn’t know whippets were a large breed.” 

“They’re not. Tyrion was born with dwarfism,” Jaime explained. “But he makes up for what he lacks in height with his huge personality.” 

“Oh I see,” she replied with a nod as things started to make sense. 

Jaime discovered if he asked the right questions he could keep her talking, but if he tried to get any information about why she was there or how she survived he got shut down immediately. So instead he offered tidbits about his life and discovered that her favorite chocolate was Hershey Kisses, the only concert she ever went to was Cher with her dad, and she was a big David Bowie fan. He also learned that while she didn’t mind the Bud he’d ordered for them she was more of a whiskey or tequila girl and she hated red wine. 

“Is this really so bad?” Jaime asked, after they both took their first bite of dessert. 

“The cheesecake is amazing but I’m still not sure about you,” she said honestly. “You talk way too much, it’s exhausting.” He couldn’t help but laugh at the truth bomb. He couldn’t argue with her, but he also didn’t want to tell her that he was actually talking way less than normal. 

A loud noise outside caught their attention and Jaime felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. It was a ferocious, terrifying growl. “Fuck,” Brienne hissed. 

“What was that?” he gasped. 

“That was Boo-Boo. Fuck,” she cursed again. “You’re going to have to stay until morning,” she sighed. 

“And here I thought you didn’t like me,” he said flirtatiously. That got him an icy glare. “Can’t I just wait a while for him to leave and then go?” 

“Yes, but by the time we wait long enough it’ll be dark. It’s not worth the risk of coyotes, wolves, cougars - they can creep up on you in the dark and surround you before you even have a clue they’re there,” she explained. 

“Aw, you don’t want me to die,” he cooed. “I have the flashlight on my phone, wouldn’t that scare them away?” He asked. She looked at him like he was the dumbest moron on the planet. “I guess that’s a no,” he muttered. She actually looked a bit nauseous at the idea of him invading her space and he felt bad - not bad enough to shut up though. “Well then, I guess we’re roomies for tonight,” he said with a grin. 

“This was the worst idea I’ve ever agreed to,” she grumbled. 

“Oh come on,” he drawled. He regretted his next statement the second the words were out of his mouth. “This will just give you a little more time to fall in love with me.” She froze and stared at him in shock. He could have tried to take it back, or corrected himself, but he’d come this far and yet again making her a little uncomfortable was kind of fun - and he was kind of an asshole sometimes. “So, are we sharing that little bed over there?” He asked, batting his eyelashes innocently. 

“I changed my mind,” she said sweetly. “I think you’ll be perfectly safe to walk home in the dark. In fact, go now. You look fast, I’m sure you can outrun a bear.” 

“Nope, you’re stuck with me now. We can sing campfire songs and do each other’s hair,” he joked. 

“What did I do to deserve this?” She moaned. Jaime took another bite of his cheesecake and enjoyed the amazing dessert almost as much as he was enjoying the misery he was inflicting on her. It was going to be an interesting sleepover that was for sure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments on the last chapter. This one feels a little different from how I normally write Braime but rest assured it will end up just as fluffy as usual :)

“What’s the deal with Boo-Boo anyway?” Jaime asked, as they cleaned up the mess from dinner. “Why’d you pick that name?” 

“Heyyyyy Boo-Boo -” She said in a weird voice, glancing over at him as if that was all she needed to say. He shrugged and shook his head. “Yogi the Bear and Boo? Jellystone park,” she added. 

“Oh right,” he snapped his fingers. “That old cartoon. But isn’t Yogi the big bear and Boo-Boo the little cub?” He didn’t watch many cartoons as a kid but he was pretty sure he was right. 

“Yes,” she grumbled. 

“I don’t get it.” He actually hadn’t even meant to get her all worked up this time, but he could see her cheeks turning pink and he felt a rush of heat inside him. You’re such a weirdo, he told himself, getting all turned on because you’re pissing her off. He followed up that thought with a mental argument about whether he was even turned on, and if he was, he was blaming it on seeing her naked earlier. 

“I just called him that once and it stuck,” she snapped. 

“Got ya,” Jaime replied. “So he’s been tormenting you?” 

She nodded. “Twice he’s taken a deer I was bleeding and last year he completely destroyed my garden. Lost almost everything I planted except some of the stuff below the ground luckily. He digs holes all over and he leaves little gifts for me everywhere,” she said with a scowl. 

“Gifts?” he asked curiously. 

“Sometimes it’s gnawed carcasses, or he’ll take a massive shit in front of the porch, once he left a coyote head on the table out there,” Brienne explained. “I just can’t seem to catch him, ever. It’s ridiculous. I found him once, but he was hibernating. I just couldn’t kill him like that, not to mention that it’s against the law to kill a grizzly unless it’s in self defense.” 

Jaime wasn’t aware of any of the rules about hunting or protected wildlife and he honestly didn’t think he would ever need to know those things before that very day. But if he was building a home out in the country perhaps it was something he needed to look into, as well as learning how to shoot a rifle and shotgun. “Maybe you could teach me how to shoot sometime?” he blurted out. He had a really bad habit of commenting out loud about something he was thinking about, which often led to confusion from his random outbursts. 

She side eyed him. “You don’t seem like the hunter type to me.” 

“You never know when I might need to save your life, neighbor,” he replied with a smile. “Wouldn’t you want to know I’m a good shot when the time comes?” Even in the dim light he could see that her face had turned completely pale. “Uh, are you okay? I was just kidding. I’m sure you’ll be the one saving me.” That didn’t seem to help at all, if he didn’t know any better he would have thought he’d just made things even worse. “Brienne?” He said, reaching out to touch her arm. 

She jerked away. “Don’t,” she snapped. Jaime held up his hands and took a step back. “I, uh, I think maybe we should just get ready for bed,” she stammered. The paleness had given way to a bright blush. She was embarrassed by her reaction - which only left him even more confused. 

“Okay,” he nodded, willing himself to behave until she came around fully. “I need to pee,” he added, looking around. 

“Of course you do,” Brienne sighed. “There’s a bucket over there in the corner,” she pointed. “Make sure you put the lid back on tight when you’re done and you get to empty it before you leave in the morning.” 

“Yes ma’am,” he replied with a military salute. So much for behaving. Thankfully she just rolled her eyes. Jaime wandered over to the bucket and took the lid off. He glanced over his shoulder. “No peeking.” 

“That’s a bit hypocritical don’t you think?” She replied from across the room. 

Jaime almost peed on the floor when he snapped his head back in her direction midstream. “What does that mean?” 

“You think I didn’t hear you crunching around while I was bathing in the river?” There was an amused look on her face. “I’ve lived out here long enough that I can hear something coming from a mile away. And you weren’t exactly quiet.”

“I didn’t see anything,” he lied, forcing the image out of his mind. Picturing her naked with his cock already in hand was not a good combination. He couldn’t help but wonder why she hadn’t bothered to hide herself knowing there was someone lurking around. Was she that confident in her body? Did she want him to see her? Or maybe she just didn’t give a fuck? She was such a damn interesting enigma. 

“Uh huh,” she said sceptically. “No matter, I’m sure I’m far from your type anyway.” 

“Couldn’t be further,” he agreed. Yet still, his cock stirred as another lie slipped out of his mouth. Maybe she wasn’t his usual type, but maybe that’s what made her so damn interesting.  
And type or no type, there was no denying that her ass was a gift from God. Jaime finished peeing and secured the lid. “But you know, if you’re lonely and looking for a good time - I could make an exception,” he offered. 

She ignored him but he caught the little flick of her gaze in his direction. Jaime was well aware of the effect he had on women and assuming she was heterosexual she would be no exception to his charms. Moments later she dropped a blanket and pillow in the middle of the floor. “There’s your bed,” she announced. 

“Well that looks really comfortable,” he drawled sarcastically. 

“Sorry but the plush memory foam mattress I was going to give you is on backorder. I think you’ll find this one good and firm, and much roomier than a casket,” she sneered back. 

“Thank you,” Jaime said genuinely. “I appreciate you keeping me safe.” She eyed him for a moment, likely waiting for some jape or joke, but when he remained silent she finally nodded. 

“Goodnight,” she said formally. He watched her walk to her bed, put out the lantern and then climb in. The only light in the room was the moon glow coming through the window, so it took a moment for his eyes to adjust but eventually he could see well enough to get himself settled. 

Jaime folded the blanket in half and fluffed up the pillow, then opened it up and got inside like a sleeping bag. It wasn’t long enough and his feet were sticking out so he rolled on his side and curled up. That only lasted a couple minutes before his hip started to hurt and he had to change position again. Two minutes later he was rolling over a third time. 

“Would you lay still?” Brienne hissed. 

“I can’t,” he pouted. “I can’t sleep.” 

“Try harder,” She insisted. 

A howl from somewhere outside pierced the silence. “What was that?” He asked, more from curiosity than fear. 

“A wolf. Go to sleep.” Jaime sat up and looked at the shape of her lying in bed. “Are you staring at me? Stop, that’s creepy.” 

“You look comfortable,” he commented. 

“Fine,” she said, flipping back her blanket. “You sleep in the bed and I’ll take the floor.” 

Jaime shook his head. “No I couldn’t, it’s your bed. I’m fine here.” 

She stomped over to him and glared down. “Go get in bed now,” she insisted. 

“Is this your idea of foreplay?” He asked, getting to his feet with a smile. “It’s sexy,” he added when he was at full height, almost staring her right in the eye. 

“Goodnight,” she said, in exactly the same tone as before, leaving him wondering how far he would have to push to get a more desirable reaction from her. 

Jaime brushed past her and walked over to the bed. “Oh it’s toasty warm,” he commented, as he climbed in. “Oh this is much better,” he sighed happily. 

“I’m so glad you think so Princess.” He could feel her glare boring through him. 

“There’s room if you’d like to share. I’ll even let you be the big spoon if you like,” he offered. 

“I could throw you outside and let the animals eat you. You would just disappear without a trace, nothing left of your body for anyone to find,” she said coldly. 

“Ohhhh full Carole Baskin, huh?” He chuckled. 

“Carole who?” She muttered. 

“Oh,” he sat up excitedly. “There was this Netflix docuseries called Tiger King. This man named Joe Exotic had a zoo with tigers and -“ 

“I’m just going to stop you right there,” she interrupted. “I’m too tired to pretend I care and I feel like I’ve suffered through enough of your incessant chatter for one day.” 

Jaime laid back down with a smile. “I knew it,” he said, closing his eyes. 

“Knew what?” She moaned. He could tell she didn’t want to ask but was too curious not to. 

“That you’re already falling in love with me,” Jaime replied with every bit of cocky confidence he could muster. 

“You know what? On second thought, maybe I’ll move somewhere else after all,” she muttered, after a long groan. 

Jaime just laughed. He knew she wasn’t going anywhere. “Goodnight,” he said, snuggling under the warm blankets with a soft sigh. He honestly hadn’t been this excited about much of anything in a very long time. He couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning and push her buttons some more. He wasn’t a total ass though, he would stop if he had any indication that he was actually bothering her. While she was very dramatic about the whole thing he could tell she liked it. Maybe she just liked having someone to talk to, even if she would never admit it. Or maybe it was more specific than that. Either way, there was something unique and intriguing about their relationship, whatever it was or would become. He knew he wasn’t crazy - they had a connection already. He just couldn’t figure out why.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all the sweet comments! I hope you enjoy this one. A few answers and many more questions 😂

Jaime was normally a pretty sound sleeper but sleeping in a different bed in unfamiliar surroundings and the strange situation they were in had him waking up several times during the night. It was mostly random, but one time he woke because of a noise, which he quickly realized was Brienne talking in her sleep. He sat up and listened. Even though he couldn’t make out all of the words it became clear pretty quickly that she was having a nightmare. Her voice sounded desperate and strained. 

“No, no - please - don’t -“ There was such terror in her voice that it gave him chills just listening to it. He felt like he needed to do something but he wasn’t sure what. He wondered if he should wake her? Was it okay to wake someone having a nightmare? Or was it sleepwalkers you weren’t supposed to wake? He couldn’t remember. Maybe I should lay down with her and hold her, he thought. But without knowing what the dream was about or how she would react to someone touching her he really wasn’t sure if that would cause her even more discomfort. 

“Stop, please - don’t - “ She mumbled something else and then gasped and sat up, breathing heavily. 

“Are you okay?” Jaime asked softly. 

“I’m fine,” she snapped. It was followed by a sniffle and he knew she was crying. 

“Is there anything I can do?” He asked. 

“I told you I’m fine. Just go back to sleep,” she insisted. 

Jaime couldn’t let it go. “What were you dreaming about?” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she growled. 

She was clearly exasperated so he decided to let it go. “Okay, Goodnight.” He laid there awake for a while, thinking about what had just happened. He got the sense that the dream may have been coming from a place of trauma and wasn’t just some random nightmare. Was it related to why she was living alone in the woods? He felt pretty certain it was, given her reluctance to talk about it. 

He glanced over at her shape on the floor. What happened to you? He thought. The curiosity was driving him crazy, even though he knew it was really none of his business. He just couldn’t help the incessant need to fix her. He didn’t know her at all, he had no idea what had shaped her into the person she was, he didn’t know what she loved and what she hated, but he felt a sense of responsibility and protectiveness that was quite baffling. He had no right to feel that way, but he couldn’t help it. 

Eventually he fell asleep again and woke to the smell of fire. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Brienne wasn’t inside the cabin, so he climbed out of bed, stretched, and went outside to see what she was doing. “Breakfast is ready,” she announced. “Porridge.” She pointed to a picnic table where there were two bowls. 

“Porridge? Really?” He gave her a look. 

“What? I made porridge. Take it or leave it,” she shrugged. 

“No, I mean - a cabin in the woods, bears, uncomfortable beds, and now porridge? Am I Goldilocks?” He took a seat with an amused grin. 

Brienne furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. “So is there any chance you’re going to run away and never return again?” She plopped a large spoonful of oats into his bowl. 

“Nope,” his grin got bigger. “We’re definitely rewriting the end of that fairytale.” 

“It was worth a shot,” she muttered. “Eat so you can go away and leave me alone for a while.” 

“I need brown sugar or some syrup,” Jaime announced. 

“Of course you do,” she groaned. He watched her get up and go inside the cabin and then return with a bag of brown sugar. 

“Where did you get that?” He asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“From the cupboard inside,” Brienne replied. 

“Yeah but it’s in a bag, like from the grocery store,” Jaime said. 

“Yeah. Did you think I grow sugar cane and refine it myself?” She rolled her eyes. 

“No,” he drawled. “But how did you get it? Do you go shopping? Where do you get money? What do you drive to get there?” 

“Stop asking questions. I’m not answering any of them so you’re wasting your breath.” Brienne took a bite of her porridge and glared at him. 

“Come on. We’re going to be neighbors. I mean, I could just stalk you and find out myself or you can tell me - your choice.” He added sugar and stirred it in. 

Their eyes were locked in a stare down. He could tell she was ridiculously stubborn so he was actually surprised when she gave in. “Oh fine. I have Podrick.” 

“You have a what?” He asked, unfamiliar with the word she just spoke. 

“Podrick. A friend. He comes every couple weeks and brings me supplies,” she explained. 

That only made him think of even more questions. “How does he know what you need? Does he pay for everything? How does he carry it all out here? What about stuff that needs to be cold?” 

“I’ve already said more than I wanted to so just stop asking questions, eat your food and take a hike,” she snapped. He could tell she was livid with herself for giving him anything. 

Jaime tried to make conversation while they ate but she was having none of it, so he quickly finished his food. “Thank you, for letting me stay and for breakfast,” he said politely. 

“You’re welcome,” she grumbled. “Can you find your way back or do you need me to hold your hand and walk you home?” 

“While that sounds really romantic I think I can manage, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you any further,” he said sweetly. 

“Good. See you,” she waved and started to clean up the table. 

“I can help with the dishes,” he offered, lingering. 

“You know what? I actually don’t really have any pressing matters today, so I’ve got this. Bye bye,” she grabbed his shoulders, turned him around and gave him a shove. 

Jaime looked back at her over his shoulder. “If I didn’t know any better I would think you’re trying to get rid of me,” he joked, sounding wounded. She glared at him again. “So I’ll see you next week for dinner. You want me to bring something again?” 

She groaned loudly. “I was hoping that wasn’t actually going to be a thing,” she muttered. “No, I’ll cook this time. You like snake? Rabbit? Venison?” 

Jaime grinned and shrugged. “I’ll try anything once,” he said suggestively. He was pretty sure he saw her cheeks flush before she turned and walked away. He really wasn’t being subtle with his flirting. As he started the long walk back to his vehicle he wondered how she felt about it. Was it flattering? Was it annoying? He also wondered if she would ever flirt back and how it would make him feel if she did. 

By the time he got into his car he felt strange. He realized what it was - he was lonely. He couldn’t help wondering if Brienne was feeling it too? She’d been alone for so long, but after spending time with another human being, was she missing being around people? Or was she simply relieved he was gone? 

So many questions. The questions he had were never ending. The more he learned the more questions came to mind. Jaime forced himself to shift gears and forget about her for a moment. He had a lot of planning to do if he wanted to have a house built before the snow arrived. 

It seemed rather ridiculous but he already felt connected to the property and he didn’t want to stay anywhere else. But it would take several months to plan and build a house, so he would have to stay at his apartment in the city until then. 

Or would he? A billboard caught his eye. Exit 278B off the interstate - Lanco RV. Five minutes later he pulled into the lot. 30 minutes later he had purchased a sizable RV and made arrangements for it to be delivered to the lot and set up that very afternoon. He would have power from a built in generator, water to shower and a very comfortable bed. He had unlimited data on his phone so he could easily tether his laptop and work from his temporary home.

There were many other things he needed to do, but his first stop was his dad’s office where both his sister and brother worked. He needed an available builder and he knew Tyrion would be able to help him with that. 

“I’m building a house,” he announced, as he walked into Tyrion’s office. 

“Like a little Lego model home?” Tyrion joked. 

“Nope, I decided to keep that property I found for dad and build a house there,” Jaime explained. 

Tyrion was looking at him like he was insane. “You found an amazing plot of land, made daddy proud like you’ve always wanted - and then you took it back?” By the time he was finished speaking there was a look of amusement on his face.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Jaime nodded. 

“But it’s out in suburbia, beyond suburbia, you hate it in the country.” Tyrion narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on? Are you having some sort of midlife crisis? I mean, you could just buy yourself an expensive car and find a hot 20 something chick to suck you off whenever you want - you know, like most normal guys do.” 

“I bought an RV. They’re delivering it to the property today,” Jaime announced, ignoring him. 

“Who are you and what have you done with my brother?” Tyrion asked, looking shocked. “Seriously, what’s going on?” 

“I just went out there and walked around a bit and I fell in love with the property,” Jaime said with a shrug. “Figured maybe it was finally time to put down some roots.” 

“No,” Tyrion shook his head. “It’s more than that. Spill it. What’s going on?” 

Jaime clenched his jaw for a moment and then looked around. He walked over and shut the door. “You have to swear you won’t tell anyone. Especially not dad or Cersei.” 

Tyrion was already smiling because he knew he’d been right. “I promise.”

Jaime rubbed his chin in thought and then finally just let out his secret. “I found a cabin in the middle of the woods. There’s a woman living there all alone. Off the grid.” 

“Wow,” Tyrion breathed. “Wait, that’s why you’re doing this? You couldn’t bear to let dad kick her out so you’re keeping the land so she can stay there?” 

“Wellllll,” he drawled. “I did like the property and I have been thinking about building a place.” 

“Is she hot?” Tyrion asked. 

“It’s not like that,” Jaime scoffed. “Something happened to her. Something drove her to isolate herself from the rest of the world.”

“And you want to be her knight in shining armor,” Tyrion accused. “Does she know what you’ve done?” 

“Kind of. I didn’t tell her that I kept the land so she could keep her home, but I’m sure she has an inkling if she lets herself believe it,” Jaime replied. Tyrion was quiet for a while. “What? Just say what you’re thinking.”

“I think you’ve completely lost your fucking mind,” Tyrion said frankly. “But I’m also a bit jealous. Your life is like a damn movie.” He leaned forward on the desk. “So, how can I help?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for the kudos. I love the wonderful comments and appreciate them so much! Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Jaime knew his impulsivity was going to kill him one day, but when he got an idea in his head he had to make it happen immediately. He couldn’t wait a few days or a few weeks - it would drive him crazy. When he decided he was going to keep the land and build a house, abandon the city life for a much more rural area, he couldn’t imagine simply going back to his home in the city and waiting for the new place to be built. No, he had to be there, right where he’d decided he wanted to be - right near her. 

As much as he’d tried to deny it to Tyrion and himself, he knew she was the reason he was so fixated on a giant piece of property in the middle of nowhere. A giant piece of property that could have turned into a huge subdivision, which would bring business further out from the city and turn the countryside into a sprawling suburbia. That’s what his father did. Some loved it, some hated it - but his developments sparked change and created jobs and prosperity in areas that may have otherwise stayed peaceful and quiet. 

It wasn’t until his recent stroll through the woods that nature and serenity had meant anything to him at all. In a matter of hours he’d gone from a man on a mission to give the clearing crew the go ahead, to a man who would feel like his heart was breaking if his land was disturbed - other than to clear a building lot for a single home of course. 

When Jaime pulled up he could see the RV was set up and looked ready to go. He would have power from the built in generator, running water, and he’d just bought groceries to stock up. He also had enough clothes for a couple weeks, bedding, and any other supplies he would need. He brought his laptop and he had a mobile hotspot he could use for internet so he could work remotely. 

It took him almost two hours to get everything inside and organized, but he wanted the place to feel like home since he’d be living there for a few months. Tyrion had secured him a builder who was coming out the next morning to take a look at the property and get started. Jaime had plenty of extra cash at his disposal and was willing to pay more to get things done a little quicker than normal. He desperately wanted to be living in the new place before the first snowfall of the year, but chances were rare since the weather was very unpredictable that time of year. 

He honestly didn’t know what he was going to do with the RV once his house was ready. Maybe he could sell it back to the dealer and take a huge loss, just to get rid of it. It was gorgeous inside though and part of him wanted to just keep it, even though the likelihood of him ever using it again was pretty slim. 

By 9pm it was pitch black outside and Jaime was exhausted. The sun had gone down a couple hours earlier and his last trip outside he’d noticed there was a bit of chill to the air. He couldn’t bring himself to turn on the heat yet, so he added another blanket to the bed before he stripped off his clothes and climbed in. 

He thought for sure he would fall asleep right away, but his mind wasn’t nearly as tired as his body. He went through a mental checklist of all the things he’d done and what he still needed to do - like find a well driller as soon as possible and call the power company to get started running poles and lines out to his property. Tyrion had taken care of most everything else and the well paid builder would do the rest. He was going to bring a few designs he’d done before that they could use as a starting point and then alter to suit Jaime’s needs. But Jaime had made sure to impress that the main thing was that it be built quickly without losing any quality - which is why he would be paying well over what the home would eventually be appraised for. 

Jaime had always imagined when he built a house it would be brick and very modern. But he’d completely changed his mind on that and knew he wanted something with a more rustic feel to fit in with the surroundings. The builder was an expert on log homes and though Jaime didn’t want a traditional style he definitely wanted a hybrid of that type, perhaps with some stone work to make it more finished and elegant. 

He wondered if Brienne would like it? He had a feeling that it didn’t matter how stunning the home was, she would still see it as an eye sore on her land. Her land - he noticed his slip. Legally it was his land, but he couldn’t deny the fact that she had a deep connection to the large chunk of property and had put roots down long before him. She lived off the land and the woods, along with all the creatures living there, were essential to her survival. 

Jaime reached for his phone and went to the builder’s site to look over some of the homes he’d built. There was one in particular that caught his eye. It was built into a hill, which gave it even more of a rustic feel, yet it had the stonework he’d been thinking of and really beautiful high columns that held up a huge upper level deck. He could already imagine sitting there watching the sun rise, a coffee in his hand - Brienne snuggled up against him. 

He tossed the phone down onto the bed beside him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and it only seemed to get worse the closer they were in proximity. That realization made him think of another idea. If he put in a really long driveway he could build back in, closer to the foothills and actually achieve a look similar to the house he’d just looked at. But more importantly, he was pretty sure it would put him much closer to the location of Brienne’s cabin. 

Jaime picked up the phone again and went to his maps where he’d saved a pin of the exact location of her cabin. He zoomed in and saw he was indeed correct. If he built further in, near the foothills of the mountains, he would only be about a 15 minute walk from her cabin. It would also mean more wildlife, which he hadn’t been a fan of two days earlier, but now seemed like a wonderful bonus. 

He plugged in his phone to the portable charger he brought and set it on the little stand beside him. Then he laid back on his pillow and smiled. 15 minutes from her. She was going to fucking hate it. She was going to be pissed, lived, enraged - and he was already excited to see her sexy scowl and the fire in those gorgeous blue eyes. 

He thought about her eyes. They really were extraordinary. Such a deep, sparkling shade of blue. Her face was plain overall, but those eyes and her delicate jawline couldn’t be ignored. It wouldn’t take much more than a bit of makeup and a decent haircut to make her rather stunning, but he was honestly quite tired of fully made up women with expensive eye shadow and perfectly done hair. Brienne was different. She didn’t care about any of that and it made her even more attractive and appealing. He thought about her short, uneven, badly cut hair and smiled. It just suited her so well. 

There were other parts of her that he really enjoyed as well. He let his mind wander back to the first time he’d laid eyes on her - a moment he thought about far too often. He usually had to stop himself but he was all alone and had no reason to worry about the way his body might react. The initial stirring in his groin was simply from the fact that he’d given himself permission to fantasize. The second round was because he was wondering what her ass would feel like in his hands? He passed the point of no return when he thought about squeezing it and hearing her moan. 

How long had it been since she’d been with a man? He wondered before if a booty call was part of the service this Podrick guy provided for her, but he decided that was unlikely. She didn’t seem to want or need any physical contact, but would that ever change? Could a time come when she longed for him? When she begged him to touch her? She wouldn’t need to beg long because he was already more than willing. 

Jaime flipped the covers back and looked down. Moments earlier his dick had been soft, dangling down the front of his legs, but now it was stiff and thick, fully erect, resting on his stomach. And all it had taken was thinking about her for a few minutes. 

Well I’ve come this far, he thought, reaching down to wrap a hand around his shaft. It had actually been a while since he’d jerked off so he decided he was due for a good tug anyway. He gave himself the freedom to let his mind go wherever it wanted, yet it didn’t wander from his mystery woman in the woods. He didn’t think about the curvy redhead he’d been with a few weeks earlier or his sexy brunette ex girlfriend with massive tits - all he could think about was how badly he wanted to strip off the plaid and denim Brienne was always wearing and dive deep into her pussy. 

“Holy shit,” Jaime grunted moments later as he orgasmed. He felt his cheeks flush by how fast he’d just made himself come. No one but him would ever know yet he was still embarrassed. He got over it quickly and decided he was just that good at knowing what he wanted, or maybe it was because it had been a while, or better yet - it was the mystique and novelty of thinking about her because she was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. 

The endorphins he’d just released had a calming effect and he found it much easier to drift off to sleep finally. The next morning he got up and showered, made himself some breakfast and was ready by 8am to meet the builder. Things went really well. He pulled up the photo of the house he’d found the night before and it was actually one of the floor plans the builder had brought to show him. They took a walk out to where Jaime was thinking of placing it and the builder felt confident it would work well. 

When they got back to the trailer they sat down and made notes all over the blue prints of changes Jaime wanted made and by lunch time they were finished. The builder said he would finalize the plans in the next day or two and send them for approval, and in the mean time he would have someone there either that afternoon or first thing the next morning to start clearing the long driveway. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a client who wanted to move things along this quickly,” he said, shaking Jaime’s hand. “But I must say, it’s actually nice to not have to wait days and weeks for you to make decisions about things.” 

“And I appreciate your willingness to put a rush on the build for me.” The men shared a mutually appreciative smile and then he left. 

Jaime took a seat and looked around. He had accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time and he was feeling pretty good about it. He looked out the window at the woods and had to fight the urge to ‘go for a walk.’ You need a reason to go see her, he told himself. 

He tapped his fingers on the table and suddenly an idea came to him. Jaime grinned then jumped up and grabbed his keys, heading out to find the nearest town to make yet another impulsive purchase.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m a bit off today, not feeling like myself, but writing these two always helps brighten my day a little. Hope you all enjoy reading this one ❤️

As Jaime trudged through the woods with his new purchase he was feeling pretty proud of himself for everything he’d accomplished in a single day. He knew it was because he was rich and could use money to make things happen, but he also believed it still took determination and motivation on his part. 

“What do you want now?” A voice called out from ahead. He hadn’t even noticed her standing there in the distance until she spoke. Her voice filled him with warmth and there was an instant buzz of excitement that spread through him. She was going to be mad at him for bugging her again and was living for it. 

“I bought something and I want you to teach me how to use it,” he announced, proudly presenting the shiny new 30-06 bolt action rifle. He knew all about gun safety, but he’d only ever shot a handgun in the past, nothing as big and powerful as his latest acquisition. 

Brienne approached him slowly. “You bought a rifle?” He nodded and she took it out of his hand and then turned in the other direction and held it up to her shoulder to aim it. “It’s nice,” she commented, dropping it down to look over a bit more. She opened and closed the chamber and then lifted it again and peered through the scope he’d had added. Finally she handed it back. 

“So? Will you teach me?” He asked. 

“I’m busy,” she replied, crossing her arms. He could see she had her own rifle strapped to her back and he suspected she never left the cabin without it. 

Jaime rolled his eyes. “No you’re not.” 

“Okay fine then - I just don’t want to teach you,” she shrugged. 

“Why not?” he whined. “Please?” Jaime looked at her with puppy dog eyes. “If we’re going to be neighbors wouldn’t you feel better if I knew how to properly shoot a rifle? You wouldn’t want me wandering around the property shooting without proper training and having stray bullets ending up where they shouldn’t, now would you?” 

“I was trying to forget you even existed,” she sighed. 

“You can’t,” Jaime grinned. “I’m unforgettable.” 

It was her turn to roll her eyes. “And there’s that humble side of you yet again,” she drawled sarcastically. “You can’t practice with that rifle,” she added. 

“What? Why not?” He felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. The man at the store told him the 30-06 was the best option for hunting in this area and that it could handle almost any type of game that lived around them. “Should I take it back and get something else? This was the one the guy at the gun store recommended for hunting.” 

Brienne nodded. “And I would agree that it’s a great choice - for hunting. But you don’t want to practice and learn with that one. It’s got way too much recoil. We won’t even get through half a box of ammo and your arm will be ready to fall off.” 

“I’m tougher than I look,” he replied haughtily, assuming that she was implying he was a snowflake. 

“Relax Rambo - I’m not insulting you, just stating a fact. A 30-06 isn’t meant for firing a bunch of rounds in succession, especially for someone who hasn’t done much shooting,” she explained. “We can go to the cabin and grab my .22 but you have to replace the ammo we use because I’ve only got a couple boxes left.” 

The first thought that came to mind was that if he had to buy her more ammunition he didn’t need another excuse to visit since he’d have to deliver it to her. “Yes of course,” he nodded. Jaime followed her to the cabin in silence. He wasn’t usually quiet for that long, but he was trying to decide when the best time to tell her about where he’d decided to build would be. He figured it was likely better to wait until after the shooting lesson so she didn’t change her mind about teaching him. 

“Be right back,” she said, ducking into the cabin. She returned less than a minute later with a much smaller gun and a couple boxes of ammunition. She also returned with a massive scowl. 

“Why does your face look like that?” he asked. 

Brienne glared at him. “You’re used to people doing whatever you want, aren’t you?” 

Jaime grinned. “Well I can’t be quite persuasive, so yes,” he nodded. “I’m pretty relentless too though, so sometimes people give in just to get it over with.” 

“Hmph,” she grunted, still scowling. 

“Don’t feel bad,” he said, reaching out to pat her shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.” 

She sniffed haughtily. “Well then - let’s get this over with.” Jaime followed along after her as she led him deeper into the woods and then into a small clearing. He noticed she had grabbed a backpack similar to the one strapped to his back. His pack was holding a few boxes of ammo for his new rifle, but he saw that hers contained several different sizes of tin cans as she set them up on a log. 

Brienne walked back over to him as Jaime set his gun and pack off to the side. “Do you know how to load this?” She asked, holding out the gun. 

“Show me once and I’ll be fine,” he replied. He watched her check the safety and open the chamber of the older style gun, then she pulled the plunger out from the tubular magazine below the barrel and loaded several bullets into the magazine. Jaime lost count but he guessed she put in 12. “How many does it hold?” he asked. 

“15,” she said, as she pushed the plunger back in, secured it and then closed the chamber. She opened and closed the chamber one more time to load it and then handed over the gun. “Give it a try,” she added, gesturing towards the targets she had set up. 

Jaime took the safety off and lifted the gun to his shoulder then aimed, or so he thought. When he pulled the trigger there was barely any kick from the rifle, but he completely missed the biggest can she’d set up. He opened the chamber and released the cartridge, then closed it to load another bullet, then he aimed and tried again. “Fuck,” he muttered, when he missed again. 

“Your stance is all off,” she commented, moving closer. She kicked at his feet to widen his legs, turned his body some and then adjusted where the gun was resting against his shoulder. Then she touched his jaw and tilted it. Jaime eyed her, but made sure not to budge from the new positioning she put him in. “Better. Now try.” 

Jaime shot three more rounds and finally hit the can on the third. “Yes,” he cried triumphantly. 

“Good job, you hit the beginner can, like most 9 year olds can do. Now be a big boy and try a smaller one,” she said, looking smug and amused. He got into position. “Chin up a bit. Good. And relax, you’re way too tense.” 

He tried 4 shots and missed every time, getting more annoyed with himself with every attempt. If he had a handgun he could have pinged them all off in quick succession, no problem. But the aim and the feel of the rifle was just so foreign to him. “Dammit,” he hissed. He was too angry with himself to notice she’d moved closer again. 

“Take a deep breath,” Brienne said softly into his ear. She lifted his left hand to where it needed to be and then reached around his body to steady his right. “Don’t tug at the trigger, just calmly squeeze. Any slight movement will throw off your aim just enough to miss.” Jaime was supposed to be focussed on the target, but instead he was thinking about how sexy it was to have her body so close to him, and hear her whisper like that. “Focus,” she said a bit louder, clearly picking up on his distracted vibes. “Aim, then fire,” she continued, softer again. 

He was struck with a desperate need to impress her. He was the student and she was the teacher. Jaime wanted her to know that her advice and instruction was working. I can do this, he thought. He focussed. He relaxed. He did everything she said - and when he pulled the trigger - he missed again. “It’s okay, you were much closer,” she said calmly. 

“How could you even tell?” he grumbled, twisting a bit to look at her. 

“Trust me,” Brienne said, meeting his eye. She let him gaze at her and she stared back for a moment, but just as Jaime’s heart started to beat a little faster and his brain started coming up with ideas that had nothing to do with the rifle he felt her hand touch his jaw again and she redirected his gaze back to the target. She stayed close though, and he was thankful. “Try again,” she whispered. 

The same sense of urgency to please her filled him again and he took a long deep breath, trying to remain calm - then he fired. He didn’t put a bullet through the can but he did graze the side of it. The little ping he heard was such a sweet sound. “Much better,” Brienne said with a smile, as she stepped away. Jaime actually considered missing the next shot because he wanted her touching him again, but he was getting the hang of it and didn’t want to go backwards. The next shot put a hole in the can and sent it flying. And the next three after that did the same to two more cans, but missed once. “Okay, safety on and reload,” she said. 

As Jaime filled the magazine up again Brienne went and set up his targets. He did much better the next time through and they had to reset the targets before he was out of ammo. They went through three more rounds before he handed the gun over to her with 6 shots left. “Your turn.” 

“I don’t need practice,” she said confidently. 

“No, I suspect you don’t,” he laughed. “But impress me anyway.” And that she did. 6 shots, 6 targets hit - in very quick succession too. “Wow,” Jaime breathed when she was done. 

“I used to shoot with my dad every time we came here,” she said wistfully. She didn’t often bring up anything personal, so Jaime took it as a win that she even mentioned her father without prompting and didn’t push for more. “Go grab your gun,” she suggested. “You should at least give it a couple shots so you can see what I mean with the recoil. It’s too powerful to shoot at cans, but aim off into the clearing just to see how it feels.” 

He quickly loaded 3 bullets into his gun and then did as she suggested. “Holy fuck,” he muttered after the first shot caused the gun to slam into his shoulder, even though he thought he’d been holding it tightly. He still took the other two shots, but there was a burn in his shoulder after just those three shots. 

“Don’t be surprised if it bruises,” she said, looking amused again. There was no point in trying to pretend he was a tough guy and it was nothing, because she clearly knew her guns and had a sense of exactly how it felt. 

“Might have to go to town and get some ice,” he joked, rubbing the tender spot lighty, wincing when he touched it. “Thank you for this,” he added. She just shrugged, but at least she didn’t seem pissed - not about the shooting at least. “I’m going to get you a thank you gift,” he announced. 

“I don’t need anything,” Brienne said, shaking her head. 

“I know, but I’m still getting you something,” Jaime shrugged. “I’ll find something you’ll like.” 

“Fine, whatever,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Are we done? Are you leaving now?” 

What had excited him earlier was now causing a twisting knot in his stomach. He did enjoy pissing her off, but what he was about to tell her was something pretty significant, and pretty permanent. “Actually, there’s something I want to show you first,” he said. 

Brienne groaned. “Will this take long?” Jaime shook his head. “Fine. Where are we going?” 

“I’m going to show you where I decided to build my house,” he said, gauging her reaction. 

“Oh,” she said in surprise. “I assumed you would build down by the road, where you parked your fancy camper.” 

“Were you spying on me?” Jaime hadn’t mentioned anything about the RV, so she had to have actually seen it, which meant she’d been a long way from her cabin. 

“Of course not,” she scoffed. But there was a little pink tinge to her cheeks that told him the truth. Brienne had most definitely been snooping around to see what he was up to. 

“Well anyway, come on and I’ll show you the spot,” he said, ducking into the forest with her following this time. When they arrived he smiled. It felt so right, so perfect. “Here we are,” he announced. 

“You’re not serious. This is like a mile from the road. Your driveway is going to - it’s going to be - really - really long,” she stammered. Jaime shrugged. “Oh right, a spoiled rich guy like yourself doesn’t need to worry about stuff like that,” she sneered. “Why can’t you just build near the road like a normal person would? Why do you have to be all the way out here? Why do you have to be so close to - “ And there it was. Her voice trailed off, but she’d said what she needed to say. 

“I told you we’re going to be neighbors,” Jaime said. “I won’t have as far to walk to borrow a cup of sugar,” he added, trying to lighten the mood. 

Brienne was already backing away. “I - uh - I have to go,” she got out, before turning to trudge back into the forest. Jaime didn’t follow. He knew she needed some space more than ever. Besides, he already had an idea of what he was going to get her and he needed to get back to his laptop and do some research.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice fluffy chapter. Hope it makes you smile! And if anyone has any brilliant name suggestions let me know:)

As Jaime trudged through the woods three days later he was really excited to see Brienne’s reaction to his gift. The way they had parted the last time had weighed on him for a while, but he hoped after some time and space she would be feeling better about things. And if that didn’t work she would have to forgive him once she saw what he’d got her. 

He made it a lot closer to her cabin before she appeared this time, but she always seemed to head him off before he got there. “How’s your stupid driveway coming?” she said bitterly, appearing out of nowhere. Before he could answer she noticed what he’d brought along with him. “You got a puppy?” 

Jaime shook his head and smiled happily. “Nope, I got you a puppy,” he replied. “I know I’ve been a pain in the ass and I’m disrupting your peaceful existence so this is an olive branch.” He held out the end of the leash and looked down at the adorable little beagle pup. She was just over a year, still not quite full grown. 

“Are you actually serious right now?” Brienne snapped. It certainly wasn’t the reaction he’d been expecting. “Who does this? Who just goes out and buys someone a puppy?”

“I didn’t buy her, I stopped by this morning and adopted her from the shelter,” Jaime protested, as if that would somehow make it better. 

It didn’t. It actually made it worse. “Really? From the shelter? Because I know that it takes more than 5 minutes to adopt from a shelter. And here you are with a puppy you just swung by and picked up this morning.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “How much did you give them?”

Jaime’s shoulders dropped, he knew he’d been busted and there was no point in denying it. Brienne was extremely intuitive and he was learning pretty quickly that he couldn’t hide anything from her. “Does it really matter?” 

“How much?” She repeated. 

“100,000,” he replied with a shrug. “Not that much.” 

“Not that much?! Oh my god,” she gasped. “What the hell is wrong with you?” 

He’d kept calm the whole time, but she was pushing him too far so finally Jaime snapped. “I have money. My family has money. So what?” He growled. “I made a sizable donation to a charity that really needs the money and my dad’s business gets a big fat tax write off. Not to mention the fact that I’m trying to do something nice for you and for this puppy.” He looked down at the dog who was sitting there calmly and couldn’t help but smile even though he was vibrating with anger. 

“Well I don’t want it, and I don’t need your help,” she yelled in frustration, before turning her back to him and starting to stomp off. 

“They found her abandoned in a house all alone. She was starving to death - clearly abused,” Jaime called out. Brienne slowed down and finally stopped to listen. “All it took was food and a little love for her to bounce right back, even after all she’d been through. She’s special,” he added. 

She turned around slowly and Jaime started to walk closer. “Is that what you think this is? What you think I need?” She asked. “A little attention, love? And I’ll be as good as new? I wasn’t abused and I’m not broken. I’m here because I want to be here.” 

Jaime was already shaking his head before she was through. “That wasn’t what I meant at all. I just wanted you to know that she’s a survivor and she deserves a good home with someone who cares about her.” He truly hadn’t made the connection between her story and the dog’s, but now that she pointed it out he wondered if there actually was some similarity. She doth protest too much, he thought. His mind drifted to the other night when he slept over and heard her crying. There was definitely more to it than her living alone in the woods simply because she wanted to. But he couldn’t force her to tell him - he would have to earn it. And he would, eventually. 

He felt a tug on the leash and something made him let go. The puppy ran straight to Brienne and sat at her feet, panting happily. That’s when Jaime knew it was over. He couldn’t have convinced her to keep that dog if he tried for weeks, but one look into those brown eyes and she was done - the pup did the convincing for him. He watched her drop to her knees and slowly reach out her hand. The little beagle licked at her fingers and then let Brienne pet her head. “I can’t keep her,” Brienne said softly. This time her tone sounded sad and it was obvious she wanted the dog. “I don’t have time.” 

Jaime bent down and pet the dog with her. “Are you brewing moonshine out here? Is there a secret meth lab I don’t know about? Are you knitting sweaters for the homeless?” He asked. “You’re always saying how busy you are.” She lifted her gaze and glared at him. “I mean, I’ve seen that huge shed out back - what’s in there?” He was only teasing her, but there was a strange look in her eyes when he mentioned the shed and he wondered if it did actually hold some secret after all? 

“It’s none of your business,” she said haughtily. “And I am busy. I have to hunt and can my vegetables from the garden and make preserves with the berries - winter is coming.” She scratched the puppy’s ears. “I can’t have a dog slowing me down or distracting me - you’re already doing a great job at that.” 

“Well, if you’d quit spending half the day spying on me,” he said, smirking at her. Just as she was about to roll her eyes or sneer at him or do something else to show her annoyance with his comment, their hands brushed and she froze. Their eyes were locked and Jaime felt warmer all of a sudden. She had such an effect on him, he couldn’t deny that - but he couldn’t decide if he liked this feeling spreading through him, similar to the way he’d felt watching her in the river or shooting the other day, or if he enjoyed the rush and buzz he felt when he teased her and when they argued even more. 

Jaime rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and the heat inside him intensified. The desire to kiss her was almost overwhelming. Her lips were so close. But he had no idea how she would react to that and he didn’t want to risk destroying any trust they had built so far, even if it was just a tiny amount. He was also still confused as to why he was so drawn to her and he needed to sort that out before he did anything stupid. 

The puppy saved him with a bark. Brienne laughed and went back to scratching her ears. “Someone wants attention,” she cooed. 

“So will you keep her? Beagles are supposed to be great hunting dogs I think,” Jaime said gently. He was pretty sure he already knew the answer, but he didn’t want to be presumptuous because Brienne was rather confusing sometimes. 

“I can’t - I - I don’t have food for her,” she stammered in that same sad tone she’d used before. 

Jaime stood up and took off his backpack. He opened it and pulled out a bag of puppy food. “That’s enough to last a few days and I’ll get you more whenever you need it - or you could share your wild game - a lot of people seem to be switching over to raw meat for dogs these days.” The calmness that washed over her while she was petting the dog was quite beautiful. Jaime wasn’t really an animal person and had never had a pet growing up, other than a toad he’d found in the back yard when he was 5 that his dad threw away after Cersei freaked out. So it was quite intriguing for him to watch the bond that was being created between the two of them right before his eyes. It almost seemed like they needed each other. 

“What’s her name?” Brienne asked, looking up at him. 

“They were calling her Parva - the woman at the shelter said it means ‘small.’ She was just a runt of a thing when they found her,” Jaime explained. “I mean it’s up to you if you want to keep it, but I’m not sure that name really suits her,” he added. “She doesn’t answer to it yet anyway, so if you want to change it,” he finished with a shrug. 

“I’ll think about it,” she said with a nod. 

“Does that mean you’re keeping her?” he said, grinning happily. 

Brienne slowly stood up and Jaime watched the pup lay down on top of her foot protectively. “Yes,” she replied, obviously fighting off a smile. “But you need to stop doing things like this,” she warned. 

“I’ll try,” he said dismissively. She gave him a look. “I’ll try hard,” Jaime added. “And I promise I won’t buy you another puppy. Maybe a kitten or a pot bellied pig next time.” 

She rolled her eyes, but finally smiled. “I’m still annoyed with you, but - thank you. She’s really beautiful.” 

He threw away all the sarcastic, egotistical replies that popped into his head and simply said, “You’re welcome.” Jaime shifted his weight from one foot to the other, suddenly feeling a bit shy and awkward. It was a very foreign feeling to him and he had no idea where it was coming from. “So, uh, I’ll bring you more food for her when I come back in two days for our dinner date.” He immediately regretted adding the ‘date’ part, but after seeing her reaction to it he decided that he liked the way her cheeks turned pink briefly and would continue to refer to it as a date to see if he could make it happen again. 

“Well if this is really still happening I want Italian food. Ravioli, lasagna, some kind of pasta - and really good dessert - something with lots of chocolate,” Brienne replied. 

“I thought you were doing the cooking?” he laughed. 

She shook her head. “I just said that in hopes you would change your mind because you didn’t want to eat wild meat - but I can see that’s not going to happen so I might as well get something good out of these dinners.” 

Jaime ran a hand through his hair and grinned. “Something besides my wonderful company and witty charm?” He was flirting hard core. He knew women loved it when he tousled his shiny dark blonde hair and smiled at them. He also knew Brienne wasn’t like most women he’d been around in the past, so he was actually a bit surprised when she flushed again. 

She recovered quickly and flirted back in her own way. “I’ve met tree frogs with more wit and charm.” 

He just chuckled and tried to ignore the warmth that was spreading through him. Why did it turn him on so much when she insulted him? He suspected it was because it felt like that age old school kid thing where boys and girls teased and picked on the person they had a crush on. He couldn’t resist one more flirt before he left. “I’ll leave the curtains open and the light on when I strip off all my clothes for bed tonight - in case you want a good show while you’re playing lumberjack spy later.” 

“Oh my God, gross. I told you -” she started. 

Jaime risked getting bitten and put a finger to her lips to stop her. “See you in a couple days with some high quality puppy food and the best italian cuisine you’ve ever tasted.” She didn’t shove his hand away or try to bite him and Jaime could still feel the warmth of her lips on his fingers when he slowly pulled his hand away. He waved and started to leave. 

“Uh Jaime?” she called out. He stopped and turned back. “Can you maybe get her some treats for her too? And like, a couple chew toys or something like that?” He smiled and nodded. On the walk back he was feeling quite good about knowing Brienne wasn’t all alone out there. It wasn’t a human being, but at least she had company now. He also knew it was none of his business and he really had no right to feel the way he did - but for some reason, he just couldn’t help himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this one last night but I decided to add a little more to it. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the additional few paragraphs at the end 😜

Jaime realized what an idiot he was halfway through stripping off his clothes by the window with the light on - the second night. It was dark. There were animals. The whole reason that he’d spent the night in Brienne’s cabin the day they met was the reason she was definitely not going to be lurking around to get a glimpse of his ass. The only people who might get a flash of his family jewels were any cars that drove by. 

Oh well, maybe in the morning, he thought with a smile. He knew it was because of his large ego, but he loved the thought of her out there spying on him. He didn’t find it at all creepy, but more flattering. He also knew that now that he’d called her on it and gave her a puppy to take all of her attention the chances of her being out there were slim and the chances of him spotting her if she was - were even slimmer. Yet he still had hope. 

He climbed into bed quite exhausted from the busy day he’d had. Things were moving quickly on the house. It blew his mind sometimes how fast things came together once the ball was rolling.   
Jaime was asleep in no time and didn’t wake up for a solid 8 hours. There was something about the fresh air outside the city that was really helping him sleep at night. He got out of bed and wandered around naked for a while, hoping somewhere out there she was watching him. He decided to just believe that she was and paused to stretch by the window. You are such a pervert he told himself with a grin, but he couldn’t help himself. 

Eventually he quit prancing around the RV and got in the shower. He had to meet the builder first thing, then he had to head to the city to get some stuff from his place and pick up the pet food, treat, and toys, before he finally got dinner and met Brienne at her cabin. 

The day actually flew by blissfully quickly and just after 530 he was heading into the woods with a giant pack full of puppy stuff strapped to his back, carrying an insulated bag with their dinner inside and a cooler with their drinks. 

Brienne and the puppy were outside playing when he walked up. He set down the bags as she came running over and sniffed at the food, then jumped up on his leg. “Stella, down,” Brienne said firmly. The puppy immediately dropped back to all fours and then rubbed against his legs. 

“Wow, impressive,” he commented. “And you picked a new name?” 

“Yeah, she looked like a Stella to me. It means star and she’s definitely a little star,” Brienne explained. 

“I like it, you made a great choice,” he complimented her. “I have lots of stuff in the backpack for her to show you, but are you hungry? We should eat while it’s still hot, I can’t wait for you to try this food.” 

“I’m actually starving,” she replied. “And I just fed Stella an hour ago anyway. Let’s go inside. I set the table already.” 

Jaime couldn’t help but smile as he picked up their dinner and followed her inside. She would never admit it, but he was pretty positive that she had been looking forward to dinner. Maybe it was more for the food than for his company, but he would wear her down and change that eventually. 

They sat down at the table and he started with the drinks from the cooler bag. “Peach bellinis,” he announced. “I made them at home and put them in Yeti cups so they will still be nice and cold.” 

“I haven’t had a Bellini since I was in college,” she said with a little smile. College, Jaime thought, wondering what her major had been. He didn’t ask, he just took it as a win that she had accidentally given him another little shred of personal information. 

“And for our meal I ordered my two favorites so you can choose which one you would like,” he offered. “We have Carbonara shrimp Alfredo or baked cheese tortellini in rose sauce.” 

“Oh my God, they both sound amazing,” she groaned. “I don’t know which one to pick.” She thought for a moment. “I’ll take the shrimp Alfredo.” Jaime passed it over to her and then got out the tortellini for himself. As soon as she put the first bite into her mouth she moaned. He watched her chew and swallow it and then moan again. “This is amazing. I would almost move back to the city for this.” 

Jaime had a bite of his food and then spoke - he couldn’t help himself. “So you did live in the city huh?” 

He could practically see the walls go right back up and he felt the change in the room as she became guarded once again. “I’m not talking about that,” she said stubbornly. 

“Oh come on, give me something,” he pressed. “Anything.” 

She sighed. “You’re such a pain in the ass.” 

“I am,” he agreed. “And I’m relentless. But if you just give me something I swear I won’t ask anymore questions - tonight.” 

She glared at him for a second. “Fine, if dessert is as good as dinner I’ll show you something you asked about earlier.” 

Jaime smiled. “Oh it is. You wanted chocolate - you’ll get chocolate. Lots of it.” The cake he had brought for dessert was to die for. They were quiet for a few minutes while they ate. Jaime was starting to get full and he expected she might be too but he wanted her to try his dish before she couldn’t eat anymore. “Here, give this a taste,” he said, holding out his fork with a tortellini covered in sauce on it. He held it close to her mouth and she hesitated a moment, but finally leaned in and took the bite right from his fork. 

Jaime felt a little stirring inside him. Feeding her was intimate and he was shocked that she let him do it, but he enjoyed it. “Wow, that might be even better than mine,” she said.

“Did you want more?” He asked, getting another one on his fork, hoping she would say yes. 

Brienne shook her head. “I need to save room for that dessert.” They both had a couple more bites of their own food and then shoved it aside. The portions were huge and he didn’t expect they would finish it. 

Jaime only ordered one piece of cake because he knew they were big slices. He opened it and picked up a clean fork. He stabbed through the moist cake. “Italian chocolate ganache cake,” he announced, holding out a bite. She gave him a look and he knew he’d pushed his luck. She took the fork from him and fed herself.

“Holy fuck,” she mumbled, closing her eyes and groaning again. 

“Yes,” he said, pumping his fist. “Hurry up and finish so I can see whatever you’re going to show me.” He pushed the cake over to her. “I’ve already seen half of you nude, so it’s not that,” he pondered. “Oh unless you’re going to show me the other side?” 

She glared at him. “Not a chance,” she said, before she shoved another bite of cake into her mouth. 

Jaime let her eat and started pulling things out of the backpack. The first thing he grabbed was a puppy safe teething treat. “Stella,” he called out. She jumped up and ran over, panting happily. It was as if she already knew her new name even though he didn’t think it was possible. “Here you go,” he said, giving her the treat. She grabbed it and then trotted away to eat it alone in the corner. 

Brienne smiled and watched her for a minute. “So I got a bunch of different treats,” Jaime continued, setting several bags on the table. “And enough puppy food for a couple weeks. Oh and there are like 4 or 5 chew toys, one with a squeaky thing they said puppies love and a tug o war rope too.” He added all the toys to the pile of things on the table. “And finally - “ He pulled the last thing out that he’d had to roll all up and squish in the backpack. “A puppy bed.” It unravelled nicely and puffed right back up. 

“You didn’t have to get all of this stuff,” Brienne said, looking over everything he’d bought. “But I really appreciate it.” She picked up the bed and took it over to Stella, then picked her up and set her in it. She spun around several times and then finally curled up and yawned. Brienne pet her for a minute and then walked back over to Jaime. “Okay, you earned it. Let’s go.” 

“Ohhhh where are we going?” He asked, buzzing with excitement. 

“You wanted to know what was in my shed didn’t you?” She asked, already leading him outside. 

“Please tell me it’s not full of dead bodies and you’re about to add me to the collection,” Jaime joked. 

“I guess you’ll find out soon, won’t you?” She replied, giving him an evil grin that could have actually creeped him out if he wasn’t 100% sure she was harmless. 

Brienne opened the door to the giant shed and waved him inside. Jaime gave her a look and then slowly peeked inside. Just as he stepped in she flipped a switch and lights came on. “What - the - fuck?” He gasped. “How?” 

“Solar power,” she replied. 

“But you don’t have power in the cabin,” he said, dumbfounded. If she had the capabilities why would she waste them on a shed when she could power where she lived? 

“I don’t need it,” she shrugged. 

“What is all of this stuff?” Jaime asked, looking at what he guessed was hundreds of thousands worth of technology. 

“Have you heard of Evanstar Solar Products?” She asked. 

Jaime turned around slowly to face her. “Of course, my dad has a few ESP generators that he uses on the job site.” 

“My dad owned the company,” she admitted. “You’re not the only one who comes from a rich family.” 

Jaime was honestly in shock. He hadn’t expected this at all. “But if it was your fathers - now it’s yours,” he muttered, slowly putting things together. “Which means you're a multi millionaire - Brienne - what are you doing out here? How are you running your business?” He had a million questions that he knew she wasn’t going to answer. 

“That’s all you get,” she replied, crossing her arms. 

Jaime was already shaking his head. “You can’t drop a bomb like that and not explain more,” he whined. “I’m going to go crazy.” He started to wander around the shed looking over some of the contraptions. There were a couple generators, solar powered lights, charging stations, heaters, what he figured was a refrigeration unit and so much more. It explained how she survived alone out there through harsh winter conditions. Not that he didn’t think she could survive truly living off the grid, but it just made more sense if she was indeed a city girl growing up. 

“You have a damn cell phone, don’t you?” Jaime said, after noticing an Apple charging cable. Brienne didn’t reply but she had a slightly amused smirk on her lips. “Are you going to give me your number?” He asked, moving closer to her. 

“Not a chance,” she whispered, confirming what he already knew. 

Even though he had a long list of inquiries that he really needed answers to, he knew he wasn’t getting anymore out of her right then so he didn’t bother asking. Instead he thanked her. “Thank you for showing me all of this,” he said honestly. If she was willing to share something this huge he knew he was wearing her down. 

Jaime looked into her eyes and Brienne gave him a little nod. He stepped closer, still looking into her clear blue eyes. She was so damn mesmerizing. He had never felt such a strong magnetic pull to a woman before. He had never felt so powerless. He was usually so in control of himself in relationships. But he was certain that he would do anything this woman asked and it both thrilled and terrified him. His eyes shifted to her lips and he took another step closer as his heart picked up speed. “Wha - what - are you doing?” She asked, freezing him in his tracks. 

His stomach flip flopped. Never in his life had he been this nervous to make a move on a woman. “I’m going to kiss you,” he said truthfully, giving her plenty of time to stop him. When she didn’t he moved even closer until he could reach out and touch her face. Brienne trembled when he lightly drew his thumb over her bottom lip and it was so sexy he felt the first tingles of arousal in his groin. He bit his lip, it was an absentminded habit, but he’d been told more than once that it was quite the turn on for women. He felt a little warm pant of breath from her mouth, followed by a shuddering gasp. She was nervous, but she was also very turned on - the knowledge of both of those things helped him pull himself together. 

He tried to take it slow, he really did, but the sparks he felt with one brush of their lips were so intense he quickly lost control. He kissed her eagerly, frantically, desperate to taste her as his hands travelled up her back and into that crazy hair. When their tongues brushed for the first time he groaned and she gasped. He moved his hands back down to her ass and he squeezed it, just like he’d imagined doing ever since he saw her in that creek. He pulled her against him, his body wild and aching, his dick already straining against his zipper. He wanted her - so badly. She was mysterious and sexy, interesting and different - and he just couldn’t get enough. 

There was also something else - it wasn’t hesitancy, but maybe a little shock on her part like she couldn’t believe what was happening. And maybe a bit of inexperience too. It didn’t make the kiss bad, in fact, it made it even better because there was this hint of shyness that was really sweet. 

Her hands were tucked in, resting on his chest and Jaime knew she had to be able to feel his heart pounding. He pressed in and kissed her, long and hard and deep, before he finally pulled back, both of them gasping and panting. He looked her right in the eye and then he put his hand over hers and guided it down between their bodies, placing it right on top of his raging hard on. He wanted her to know what she did to him, how much she turned him on. He could see her eyes darken with lust and he released her hand. She could have pulled it away if she wanted to, but she didn’t, instead she squeezed lightly and he groaned deeply. Then she rubbed him, just the tiniest bit and he had to reach for her hips to brace himself. 

“We should go,” Brienne said suddenly, breaking the silence and breaking his heart all at the same time. 

He tried not to let his disappointment show. Their afternoon had already been incredible and if this was where it ended he needed to be okay with that. “I understand,” he said softly with a little nod. 

She looked a bit surprised which threw him. “I don’t want to do it in here,” she added. Jaime stared at her, dumbfounded yet again. She could make an idiot out of him so easily. “I mean, if you even wanted to - uh -” 

“Yes, yes, oh my God yes,” Jaime nodded eagerly. Too eagerly. He honestly couldn’t believe what was happening. 

“In the cabin then,” she said, her hand still resting over his cock. 

“In the cabin then,” he repeated. Neither one of them moved and then they both did at once. Their bodies mashed together and he found her lips again. The kiss was even more passionate, somehow even more desperate than the first time with both of their intentions now in the open. Jaime spun her around and then grabbed the back of her legs, lifting her while he walked towards the table in the middle of the room. He set her down on the edge of it and stood between her legs. When their lips met again he knew they definitely weren’t making it to the cabin.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here’s where things get interesting 🤨

That damn flannel shirt was going to be the death of him. So. many. buttons. It was taking everything Jaime had to keep undoing them and not just rip the damn thing open. She couldn’t just stop by the store or have an online order delivered to replace it, so he carefully continued, trying to tell himself it was better to unwrap a present slowly and enjoy the anticipation. 

His efforts were rewarded when he finally pushed it off her shoulders and didn’t find a damn thing underneath. No undershirt, no bra - nothing but her milky white skin and perfect pink nipples. His mouth was already watering as he hungrily attacked the first one. Brienne gasped and arched her back, pressing her breast even more firmly against his face. He reached up and played with the other one, pinching her nipple on the left while he sucked hard on the right. “Oh fuck,” she moaned, as her body shuddered slightly. 

His dick was absolutely raging inside his pants, aching to be set free, begging to get inside her. But Jaime had things he wanted to do before he got there so he set his focus on stripping every stitch of clothing off of her body. Boots, socks, jeans - there were only her panties left. She laid there, looking up at him with those big blue eyes, filled with lust and mystery and innocence that he’d never seen in a woman before. She obviously wasn’t his usual type, but maybe that’s what made her even more desirable. He wanted something different, someone who kept him on his toes and who didn’t give in to any of his bullshit. 

Before he touched her underwear he stripped his own clothes off. All of them. He sensed she was a bit nervous and he hoped that fully exposing himself first would help her a little. Jaime turned slowly in a circle and let her see all of him. “Fair is fair,” he said with a grin. He watched Brienne bite her lip and then with a trembling hand she pulled him down to her mouth, wrapping her long legs around him as she did. 

Jaime kissed her again, feeling the same explosive passion all over again the second their lips touched. Her arms were around his body, pulling him closer with a desperate sense of urgency. His erection was pressing between her legs, his cock so damn close to where it wanted to be. He rubbed her lightly and swallowed up the moan that came out of her throat. 

He wondered how long it had been since she’d been fucked? Years? She’s been in the woods alone for at least 2 years. 2 damn years. He couldn’t imagine going that long or how lust crazed he would be by that point. 

Jaime rubbed a little harder and Brienne let out a little whimper that made his cock throb. He broke away from her mouth and looked down at her again, both panting and breathless. His eyes wandered down her body and stopped between her legs. The light purple cotton panties she was wearing were much darker right where his dick had been rubbing against her and his mouth started to water again. The aroma of her arousal hit his senses and Jaime licked his lips. 

He bent his head and kissed his way down her body. Her skin smelled so different from the women he was usually with. There wasn’t a perfume scent like lavender or citrus. She just smelled like fresh, clean air. She smelled a little like pine and the sweet woodsy smell of her cabin. And when he licked her skin he could taste the river. She must have bathed just before he came to visit. Maybe she’d wanted him to see her again, to watch her touch her body and wash herself. 

When he finally made his wait to the waistband of her underwear Jaime tugged at it with his teeth. He could feel her pubic hairs tickling his top lip as he tugged them down. With some help from his hands and assistance from Brienne as she lifted her hips he worked the panties off and down her long legs. 

She immediately pressed her thighs together and looked up at him, doe eyed, blinking - so virtuous - and such a contrast to the wild and hungry look she must have seen staring back at her. He reached out and set a hand on her knee and then gently started to push. She didn’t resist, but he saw her swallow hard with nerves as he exposed her. “It’s okay,” he said gently. “You’re beautiful.” 

He ran a hand up her leg and noticed it was smooth - freshly shaved. Between her legs was a different story. He saw something he hasn’t seen on a woman in quite some time - a full bush of blonde curls. His cock ached a little more and he reached out to touch her. The hair was coarse, but soft on his fingers. “This is incredible,” he muttered, grinning happily. It really wasn’t about whether he preferred a woman with a little pubic hair, a lot, or none - it was just a reminder of how different and special she was. 

Brienne was quiet, but her cheeks were flushed. He hoped she wasn’t embarrassed at all, but just in case he decided to prove he was telling the truth by burying his face between her legs. Sweet, wet and delicious - she was everything he’d imagined and more. 

Her inner thighs started to quiver as he lightly licked her pussy. She squirmed too, not in a way that said stop, but in a way that said this feels so good I can’t stay still. He sucked and licked, tasting her and savoring the flavor. She might have enjoyed that cake he’d brought her but Jaime knew his dessert was better than chocolate anyday. 

His tongue grazed her clit and her body responded with an intense shudder. He licked her again and Brienne whimpered. Jaime reached down and slowly stroked his cock while he pleasured her. He couldn’t stand the ache and burn inside his groin for much longer. 

He felt her fingers touch his back, pawing at him. “Please,” she begged. He gave her clit one more deliberate lick and then stood up straight. He stroked himself a couple more times while she watched and then released his thick, throbbing shaft. He watched the rise and fall of her chest. She was breathing heavy and he had no doubt that her heart was pounding as hard and fast as his. 

Jaime reached for her legs and lifted them, pulling her closer to the edge of the table. He pressed down on his dick to line them up properly and then slowly eased inside her. They held each other’s gaze until she moaned and closed her eyes. He set her calves on her shoulders, put his hands on the top of her thighs for leverage and slowly started to move. 

The first time he pushed all the way to her core, as deep as he could go, she made that whimpering sound again. He smiled and then focused on the feel of her body wrapped around him - a nice tight fit, warm and slick - exactly the way he liked it. He could still taste her and he licked his lips, his tongue tingling happily with her flavor. 

He only pushed into her 4 times, 4 slow strokes, before she came - hard. Brienne cried out and her body jolted. It felt even wetter and in the silence of the room he could hear the damp, sticky sounds as he continued to fuck her. “Fuck,” he moaned as he felt the first contraction of her pussy on his shaft. It was so strong it felt like she was using her hand to grip his cock. He groaned and his knees started to feel weak from the waves of euphoria rippling through him. 

Jaime didn’t last much longer himself. He was at the brink, at the point where he had to decide if he was ready to explode or if he wanted to make it last longer. It was always such a difficult decision, but the fact that she had already orgasmed made it a little easier. He sped up and the room echoed with the slapping of their bodies and he fucked her, slamming hard and fast. 

He made sure to keep hold of her legs and cushion the force because he knew the hard table below her wouldn’t be very comfortable. Brienne gasped and he moaned again as he felt his balls starting to tighten up. He pounded her, over and over, pushing himself closer to the edge with each thrust. Finally he was there, about to release - but he pulled out just in time to shoot his load onto her chest and stomach. They hadn’t used protection so he wanted to be careful he didn’t accidentally give her another gift she didn’t want. 

Jaime quickly looked around and saw a roll of shop towels. He leaned over and grabbed them, then tore one off and used it to wipe his mess off of her. He helped Brienne to her feet and then leaned in to kiss her softly. He smiled at her, but didn’t say anything. When she didn’t speak either he turned and started to gather his clothes and get dressed. 

When he turned around again after bending to tie up his boots, she was just finishing buttoning up her shirt. He smiled at her again and started to walk closer. “Don’t,” she said, freezing him in his tracks. 

“Brienne?” He eyed her with concern and curiosity. There were tears in her eyes and he could tell she was fighting them back. 

“You got what you wanted, now you can go,” she replied, her voice icy. The temperature in the room dropped 20 degrees instantly. 

He stared at her in shock and disbelief. And just like that the high he was on came crashing down like a plane falling out of the sky. “You - you actually think that’s all I wanted? A good fuck?” She shrugged and avoided his eyes. “Wow,” Jaime muttered. He was too stunned and hurt to really look at her again but he understood one thing. “Someone hurt you long before I got here. That’s what this is about. But I’ll give you what you want.” Jaime sucked in a breath and then spoke softly, “Goodbye Brienne.” He turned and walked out of the shed, strode angrily to the cabin to grab his pack and without another look at her, or the puppy who chased him out the door, he started the long walk home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the moment you all knew was coming 😂
> 
> ETA: it was brought to my attention today that the name I was using for the bear has racist connotations. I had absolutely no idea that this was the case. I usually do my research about things I’m not familiar with and in this case I didn’t realize I needed to do that. 
> 
> I’m deeply sorry if I offended anyone with the name, it was not my intention at all. Please accept my sincere apology if you were triggered or hurt by this. 
> 
> The bear will now be referred to as Boo-Boo and I will be going back to make the changes and edit the name. If by tomorrow you notice that I have missed correcting it anywhere please let me know. 
> 
> Thank you ❤️😘

Jaime was tromping angrily along, sticks and branches crunching loudly under his feet with each step, as the sun set somewhere behind him. It was getting dark and there was a chill in the air, but if he walked quickly he would be out of the woods before the sun fully set. “What the fuck is wrong with that woman?” he muttered out loud. As angry and upset as he was about how it had ended, there was still a stirring inside him, reminding him of what they had shared. It had to mean something to her too, he thought. He knew there was more going on but he was just too hurt and raw to figure it out right then. 

He ignored the aching in his heart that was telling him to just run back to her and listened to the pain of the knife she’d stabbed into his chest instead. Just keep walking, he told himself - and that’s exactly what he did - until he heard a sound he would never forget. “Nooooooo Stella.” It was followed by a loud, piercing scream that made his stomach roll over more than once. Jaime turned and bolted as fast as his legs would carry him in the direction of the scream. 

He heard her scream one more time and then he heard another sound and knew exactly what he was going to find when darted into the clearing by the river. The scene before him was like something out of a horror movie. There was so much blood - too much. His stomach rolled again and bile rose in his throat. 

There was a massive bear, standing tall on its hind legs, all his attention focussed on Brienne and the barking puppy in her arms. They were defenseless with no weapon in sight. The puppy was covered with blood and he could see Brienne’s shirt was slashed open and she was cut - badly. The only good thing about what he was looking at was that Brienne and Stella were both still alive. 

“Jaime,” she whispered, looking over at him with tears streaming down her face. “Go. Run. Save yourself. Please.” There was such desperation in her eyes. She was begging him to run away, clearly ready to sacrifice herself so he could. 

Of course he did exactly the opposite. Jaime saw a thick branch on the ground and picked it up, then he ran directly between Brienne and the bear, tucking her safely in behind him. “What are you doing?” she snapped. “I told you to leave. To run.” 

The bear roared in response to her voice, but didn’t make any movement towards them. “You’re hurt, I’m not leaving you here to die,” he hissed. “Boo-Boo I presume?” 

“That’s him,” she whispered back. It was followed by a moan and he knew she was in a lot of pain. “Jaime please, just get out of here while you can.” 

Stella started barking again and the bear let out a huge roar, shaking his head and stomping angrily. “He doesn’t like the dog,” Jaime said out loud, as he realized that it was Stella’s barking that seemed to anger the bear more than anything. “Brienne, I need you to slowly back away and then turn and run. Take Stella and go. Run to my RV and wait there.” 

“No, no way. I’m not leaving you here.” Her voice broke and a sob came out. “I can’t Jaime. I can’t do it again.” 

“We don’t have time to argue about this. You need to go before you bleed too much and pass the fuck out. I can’t carry you and the puppy and out run an angry bear,” he snapped. Stella barked some more and the bear lashed out with sharp claws. “Brienne, fucking go. Get the dog out of here. NOW.” 

“I can’t,” she protested. He could hear the absolute terror and anguish in her voice as the bear stepped forward again and the two of them backed away. She was tucked in right behind him, likely leaking blood onto the back of his shirt. He glanced over his shoulder and almost gagged at the sight of her injury. He knew the only thing keeping her from passing out was pure adrenaline. 

Another bark and Boo-Boo took another swipe. Jaime held up the stick to ward off the 4 inch claws coming at him and watched as the bear sliced the branch clean in half. “Fuck,” he grumbled, his heart pounding in his chest. “Okay I’m not fucking around anymore,” he snapped. “You’re going to turn around and you’re going to run and you’re not going to stop until you’re inside my RV with the door shut.” He spun and reached back and roughly turned her. “Save the puppy,” he added. “She needs you.” 

She turned back and their eyes met. He could literally feel the pain pouring out of her. “Don’t die,” she whispered. “Please don’t die. I won’t survive this again.” 

“I’ll meet you at my place. Go.” He gave her a little push and finally she listened. As she disappeared into the darkness he turned back to the grizzly with his half a stick. “Now what?” he asked the bear. With the dog gone Jaime could actually see the bear calm down some, but he was still standing tall, looking ready to attack at any second. What am I going to do? Jaime wondered, scanning the area for some way to escape. He knew bears could run and climb trees so bolting would get him killed for sure. 

Suddenly Jaime remembered something from a movie he saw once. He knew if you played dead there was one kind of bear that would leave you alone and the other you were supposed to fight for your life and playing dead would only make it easier for the bear. He slowly sunk to his knees. The bear made a low growl, but didn’t move. Jaime gently laid down on the ground on his stomach with his pack still on his back. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to slow his racing heart and calm the need to throw up. If this was the wrong kind of bear he’d just signed his death warrant. 

After a few minutes the bear dropped to all fours and took a step towards him. Jaime held his breath as the huge predator sniffed him. Please God, please don’t let me die, he prayed. He felt the bear slobber in his hair and almost gagged, but somehow held it back and stayed frozen in place. After what seemed like an eternity the bear turned and started to lumber off in the other direction. Jaime watched as he rubbed against a couple of trees and then disappeared into the darkness. 

He laid there on the ground and counted to 300 in his head before he slowly sat up and finally took a deep breath. His senses kicked in again when he remembered Brienne’s wound. He jumped up and raced to the river, where he dunked his head and quickly washed the bear drool out of his hair. Then Jaime took off, as fast as his legs would carry him through the woods. It was almost fully dark at that point and he knew there were other predators that could be lurking but he couldn’t dwell on that. He just ran - and ran - and ran, until his lungs were burning and his legs felt like they were going to collapse. Finally he made it out of the woods and he could see his RV off in the distance. 

Jaime stopped and fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath and make it the rest of the way. He hoped and prayed that Brienne was there, safe inside. He obviously hadn’t passed her in the woods, but there were a million different paths to take to get out and she could have easily went a different way. 

He pushed himself back to his feet and started a slow jog, it was the best he could manage. With his lungs burning and sweat dripping from his face he made it around the other side of the RV and was flooded with fear and relief at the same time. Brienne was sitting on the ground, leaning back against the RV with Stella curled up asleep in her lap. They were both covered with so much blood. 

“Brienne,” he gasped, rushing to her side. “We have to get you to the hospital right now.” 

“No,” she said weakly. “No hospital. I can’t.” 

Jaime looked at her shoulder, matted with blood and still bleeding. “You’re weak and exhausted and you need a doctor.” 

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her face was pale and sweaty. “I can’t go to the hospital. Please. Just help me clean it and bandage it up here.” 

“Brienne,” he tried again. 

“No,” she insisted, with more force behind her words than he’d expected possible in her condition. 

“What about Stella? She needs to see a vet. We can drop her off first and then get you to a doctor.” He hoped using the puppy again might get her to listen to reason. 

She shook her head. “She’s fine. It’s all my blood.” That made him feel even more sick. It was so much fucking blood. “Just help me - right here.” 

Jaime stood up and started to pace. He was glad the puppy was fine, that was at least one less thing to worry about. But he had to figure out how he was going to get Brienne to a doctor. He could wait until she passed out and then carry her to his truck. But he didn’t want to risk her losing anymore blood by waiting. Shit, pressure on the wound. Jaime quickly pulled off his shirt and bundled it up. He knelt down beside her and pressed it firmly against her shoulder and collarbone. 

“Ahhh,” Brienne cried out in pain. He saw her start to heave and was sure she was going to throw up, but somehow she held it back. She was one fucking tough woman, way tougher than he was. 

Okay, think, think, he told himself as he held pressure on her wound. If I can’t get her to a doctor, maybe I can bring a doctor to her. Is that even a thing? Do doctors do house calls? Jaime didn’t even know anyone who was a physician to call and ask. All of a sudden someone popped into his mind. He wasn’t a practicing doctor, but he was the next best thing - a combat trauma surgeon who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Jaime dug out his phone and found a name in his contacts. The phone rang twice before he answered. “Jaime Lannister, it’s been a long time.” 

“I need your help, right away,” Jaime gasped into the phone. 

“What’s going on?” the man replied. 

“My friend - she was attacked by a bear. It tore open her shoulder pretty badly,” he said quickly. 

“Why aren’t you taking her to the hospital?” was the obvious follow up question. 

“Please, I’ll explain later. She’s bleeding badly - I need you now,” Jaime begged. 

“Text me your location and I’ll be there as fast as I can.” Jaime hung up and did as instructed. 

“Help is on the way,” he told Brienne, adjusting his position to sit down beside her. She didn’t speak, but moaned in response. She was fading fast. “Stay with me,” he said, gently easing her head onto his shoulder where she could rest a bit better. 

“Why - are you - helping - me - after what I - did to - you,” she got out, her voice barely a whisper. 

“Because, when you’re better you’re going to tell me everything and then I’ll understand why you did what you did and I’ll forgive you for it,” he replied, kissing the side of her head. She tilted her chin slightly to look up at him and then she gave a tiny nod. “Now just breathe and relax, but don’t fall asleep, okay?” She nodded again and with his free hand Jaime found hers and held it. Even through all their chatter and movement Stella remained curled up on her lap. “Good girl,” he whispered. She looked up and then leaned over and licked their hands. Jaime knew he definitely wasn’t the only one looking out for the incredible woman in his arms. 

“Why is your hair wet?” Brienne asked softly. 

“Because Boo-Boo drooled on me so I dunked my head in the river,” he explained. Even with all the pain and exhaustion she was feeling Brienne somehow managed a laugh. It was just a faint, slight chuckle, but it was the most beautiful sound he’d heard in a very long time.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update this one. Real life has been busy lately. I’m hoping I can do a couple more updates in the next few days before the fic exchange starts and then I’m going to go on hiatus for a bit until the tags slows back down again. 
> 
> Thank you for reading 😘😘

“Shit that looks bad. Come on, help me get her inside so we can clean it up and see what we have.” The 15 minutes it took for Davis Seaworth to arrive had felt like forever. Jaime did whatever he could to keep her awake, terrified of what might happen if she fell asleep. There was so much blood, even with him pressing on the wound. 

The two of them got Brienne to her feet as she moaned in pain. Jaime wished he could do something, anything to take her pain away. But he knew Davos would have something in the backpack he was wearing to help, as soon as they got her inside so he could assess the damage. By that point it was almost dark and the air was getting damp. 

Stella followed them inside and somehow she knew to stay out of the way. She made herself comfortable on Jaime’s bed while the two of them laid Brienne in the spare bed at the other end of the RV. The mattress was going to end up covered in blood but all Jaime cared about was making sure she was okay. 

“Okay, I’m going to need towels, sheets, whatever you have to clean her up, hot water too and when I get to the stitching you might need to hold her still. I’ll numb it as best I can, but there’s a lot of damage and she’s going to want to move if I don’t get the whole area frozen,” Davos explained. 

Jaime nodded and took off to get supplies. He heard Davos talking to Brienne as he grabbed towels and turned on the tap. “I’m going to have to cut your shirt.” Jaime heard Brienne moan in agreement. By the time he returned with the supplies Davos had cut off the one sleeve of Brienne’s shirt to expose the slash wounds from the bear’s claws. His stomach turned looking at them. They were deep and he was pretty sure he could see her muscle exposed, but they did look clean at least and the skin was still intact enough that he was confident Davos could stitch her up. 

As soon as Davos started cleaning Jaime could tell Brienne was in a lot of pain, so he climbed over her and sat on the bed beside her. He picked up her hand and held it. “It’s going to be okay,” he said softly. She opened her eyes and looked up at him and then nodded. She seemed grateful and it made Jaime feel good to help in some small way. 

“I’m going to put some freezing in and get stitching. She can’t afford to lose any more blood and the longer these wounds stay open the greater the risk of infection,” Davos said gravely. Jaime held her hand tightly and watched while Davos put some freezing in and around the wounds. The next thing he knew Davos was already stitching and Brienne’s grip on his hand was like a vice. She writhed a bit and Davos looked at him. Jaime nodded and let go of her hand, then straddled her at the waist and took a firm grip on her shoulders. He felt awful, but he knew it had to be done. They needed to get her sewn up as quickly as possible. 

Jaime was actually shocked at how fast Davos worked. It was clear how skilled he was at not only suturing the wounds, but doing it fast and in less than ideal conditions. Jaime knew that Davos had seen horrible injuries. Soldier’s bodies decimated by shrapnel, missing limbs, victims of bombs and landmines. While it was awful to think of what he’d been through Jaime was extremely grateful for his expertise right then. 

“Done,” he announced, tying off the last stitch. Jaime could see the relief on Brienne’s face at Davos’ announcement, even though it was obvious that as time passed and the freezing took better hold she was feeling less pain. “She’s pretty pale and dizzy I’m sure but -“ Davos held Brienne’s wrist for a moment. “Her pulse is strong so I think we got her stitched up before she lost too much blood. I don’t think she will be needing a transfusion.” Jaime noticed that Brienne’s eyes had closed, but she was likely exhausted from everything she’d been through. “I’ve already given her a shot of Toradol for the pain, but I’ll leave some pills for when it wears off and some antibiotics for her to start in the morning.” 

“I don’t know how to thank you for your help,” Jaime replied. If Davos hadn’t shown up as quickly as he had, or couldn’t come at all Jaime didn’t know what he would have done. 

“I still don’t understand why you couldn’t take her to the hospital, but it’s really none of my business so I’m not going to ask.” Jaime was thankful because he didn’t really understand it himself either and couldn’t have explained it anyway. “Just promise you’ll call me if you notice any inflammation around the stitches, or if her dizziness lasts more than a couple days okay?” Jaime nodded. “And promise me you’ll make her stay in bed for 24-48 hours. Her body needs to recover from the shock and trauma. She only gets up to use the bathroom and you help her walk there and back. Got it.” 

“Absolutely,” Jaime agreed. 

“Okay then,” Davos said, turning back to look at Brienne for a moment. “She’s fucking tough,” he said softly. “I’ve seen soldiers, big strong men, with much less damage than her, taking it far worse.” Jaime nodded in agreement, looking at Brienne’s sleeping form with a fondness so deep it shocked him. She finally looked peaceful and it made his heart feel very happy. “She’s not your usual type,” Davos added, giving Jaime a smirk. 

“Thought maybe it was time to try something different,” Jaime replied with a smile and a little shrug. 

“I think you found a good one,” Davos said, clapping his shoulder. Jaime followed him to the door and thanked him again, then waved goodbye as his friend drove off. 

“I think you’re right,” Jaime whispered to himself. He walked back over to where Brienne was lying. He didn’t want to disturb her, but he needed to get her bloody clothes off and try to clean up a bit so she could sleep fresh and comfortable. 

Her wound was all bandaged up, but there was still some dried blood around the area so Jaime got some fresh water and started to clean her up. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt and her eyes opened for a moment. She saw the cloth in his hand and seemed to understand what he was doing, then stayed awake long enough to shift and maneuver while he got her out of the clothes and tugged the blood stained sheets off the bed. He found a clean sheet and a couple of blankets to cover her with. They could find her some clothes in the morning but for the night he figured she could just sleep in her underwear. 

When he had her all settled Jaime tenderly stroked her forehead for a second. “What a fucking day,” he sighed. The only thing that really mattered though, was that she was safe now. “Night Brienne,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her softly on the cheek. 

Her eyes opened one more time. “Thank you,” she whispered hoarsely, before they closed again and she drifted off. 

Jaime was tired, but he had a puppy covered in blood that he needed to clean up, so he found Stella and prayed she was a puppy who liked water. He set her in the sink and used a cloth to sponge and wipe her down. She sat there patiently until he was done. “You’re such a good girl,” he cooed, kissing the top of her head. The dog was ridiculously intuitive and he knew Brienne was lucky to have her. Jaime lifted her out and hugged her in a towel, gently rubbing her fur until she was starting to dry. He stroked her head and heard her whimper a bit. “I know what you want,” he said with a smile. 

He walked down to where Brienne was sleeping and set Stella down beside her. The puppy did three circles and then curled up at Brienne’s side, tucking in close. “I’m jealous,” Jaime teased in a whisper, before making his way all the way to the other end of the RV where his bed was. 

By that point he was most definitely ready to sleep, so he stripped down to his underwear and threw his dirty clothes into the garbage with Brienne’s. There was no way they were getting the blood stains out anyway. He climbed into bed and was out in no time. 

He woke in the middle of the night to the sounds of Brienne having a nightmare, like she had the night he slept in the cabin. His heart ached for her and he wondered if this was something she dealt with every single night. She was clearly suffering some sort of trauma that was haunting her dreams. Jaime climbed out of bed and walked to where she was sleeping. This time he knew exactly what to do. 

Jaime reached over and lifted up Stella, then placed her down on the other side of Brienne. Then he climbed into the bed, laid down beside her and slipped an arm around her. “Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered softly into her ear. She thrashed a couple more times, then calmed down. 

“Jaime?” she mumbled sleepily. 

“I’m here,” he replied, tightening his grip slightly where his arm was slung across her bare skin. Her body was warm and so was his, but it was still nice to share the heat. “You were having a bad dream.” 

“Yeah, I have them a lot,” she said softly. Jaime really hadn’t been worried about upsetting her by getting into bed with her, but he still felt better when she laid her hand on his arm. “Thank you,” she said again, like she had earlier. She shifted slightly and tucked herself even closer to him. 

“Are you in pain?” he asked. “I can get you one of the pills Davos left.” 

“No, I’m good. Comfortable,” Brienne replied. He was comfortable too. More comfortable than he’d been in any bed for quite some time. He wasn’t even much of a snuggler usually, but lying there with her felt very natural. 

“Okay, get some rest,” he whispered. Jaime closed his own eyes and when he opened them again hours later they were both lying in the exact same position. Unfortunately he had some serious morning wood by that point. How inappropriate, he thought, rolling his eyes, even though he knew it wasn’t really something he could have controlled. 

He did however need to stop thinking about the fact that his boner was nicely resting against Brienne’s ass because that was definitely not going to help his erection go away anytime soon. Her shifting and stretching also wasn’t going to help. Jaime bit back a groan as her ass brushed against him several times. Time to get up, he told himself. He climbed over her and made a beeline for the bathroom. By the time he showered and brushed his teeth he could finally pee. 

When he emerged from the bathroom Brienne was sitting up on the edge of the bed. “What are you doing?” he gasped, rushing over to her. 

“I need to pee,” she hissed. “And bathe, and brush my teeth,” she added. “And I need clothes.” 

Jaime went and found a zippered hoodie and carefully helped her slip it on so she was covered on the top at least. “Well you can pee and there are a couple brand new toothbrushes in the top drawer you can pick from, but you’re not showering because you can’t get the stitches wet for a couple of days,” he informed her. “I’ll find you some pants when you come out.” 

Brienne groaned. “I finally get the chance to use hot water and I’m not allowed, figures.” Jaime slipped an arm around her and helped her stand. He felt her legs almost buckle before she got herself situated. “I’m okay,” she insisted, taking a shaky step. They made their way to the bathroom slowly and he helped her inside, then lingered. “I’m not peeing with you standing there watching me,” she huffed. 

“Fine, but I’ll be right outside the door,” Jaime said, shutting it as he left. It felt like forever before she finally emerged. It was clear that the small amount of exertion from walking to the bathroom and cleaning up had already taken its toll. So much so, that she didn’t even argue one bit when he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the bed. “Are you in pain now?” he asked, after lying her down. 

“A little,” she admitted sleepily. Jaime grabbed one of the pain pills and some water for her to take it. He was going to give her the antibiotic but saw that it said to take with food. 

“I’m going to run to town while you sleep and get us some food and pick up some puppy food for Stella. I’ll grab some other things you might need so I don’t have to head back into the woods with BooBoo still out there,” Jaime said. “I’m also going to call a friend to take care of the bear situation so it won’t be a problem anymore.” 

“No,” Brienne blurted out. “Don’t kill him. Please.” Jaime gave her a confused look. “I’m the one who moved into his home,” she said gently. “Can you ask your friend to just tranquilize him and relocate him instead?” 

Jaime sighed. “He’s not going to like it, but I’ll ask Bronn to find a team of guys and move BooBoo to a new home.” Bronn was his family’s go-to guy for anything he needed done, particularly when it was a little less than legal matter. Jaime knew he would much rather hunt the bear than remove it, but he would do exactly as Jaime asked and get paid well to do it. 

“Thank you,” Brienne said softly. “For everything. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t -”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Jaime interrupted. “I just hope that maybe you’ll see things a little differently now,” he added, avoiding her eyes. He really hoped she understood that their time in that shed was about more than just sex for him. 

She nodded. “When you get back I’ll prove it.” 

“You don’t have to -” He started, not completely sure what she meant, but nonetheless he didn’t want her to feel obligated to do anything at all. 

“I do,” Brienne interrupted. “I’m going to sleep now, but when you get back I’m going to tell you everything. You deserve that at the very least. You deserve to know the truth and understand why I am this way.” 

He could tell from the tone of her voice that it didn’t matter what he said, she had made up her mind. And he couldn’t deny the fact that he desperately wanted to know - he just didn’t want her to feel like she had to tell him. Jaime had a feeling that it might be good for her to talk about it though, and he was glad that she trusted him enough now to tell him the truth. 

Jaime pulled the blanket over her and she took her arms out. He picked up her hand for a moment and gently caressed her fingers. “Okay,” he said finally, with a nod of his head. “Get some rest. I’ll be back soon.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight trigger warning. Check end notes first if you might be triggered by something for details.

When Jaime returned she was already awake, sitting up in bed with Stella on her lap. He set down all his purchases on the table and started by filling the dog bowl with food and water for the pup. She came running the second he set it down, clearly starving. He set everything else aside except the breakfast he’d bought for himself and Brienne. He grabbed the lap tray he’d purchased and got her all set up. “Wow, you thought of everything,” she commented when he set it down in front of her. 

“I’m sure I forgot plenty of things you might need and probably purchased a lot of the wrong things too, but I did my best,” he replied with a grin. She didn’t seem like the type that was overly picky about brand and style so he suspected she wouldn’t complain much, but he would also be happy to run out and get her anything she needed. “Just say the word and I’ll go back out and get what you need thought.” 

“I’m sure whatever you got is fine,” Brienne said politely. “Wow, I am so hungry,” she added, taking her first bite. Jaime’s stomach was growling watching her so he got out his own food and sat down to eat. They both polished off their meal quickly and Jaime cleared everything away. 

He felt a knot in his stomach when he remembered what was coming next, so he could only imagine what Brienne was feeling. He turned towards her and their eyes met. He saw the flicker of a smile and he realized that she might actually be ready to get this weight off her chest by sharing her story. 

“Come sit,” she said, patting the bed beside her. Jaime walked over and took a seat. “Please don’t say anything until I’m all finished okay? I want to make sure I get through it all before you do.” He nodded and reached out to give her hand a comforting squeeze. She looked at him gratefully and that was the last time their eyes met until her story was done. 

“My father was murdered,” she began. Holy fuck. Jaime’s heart started to pound and he realized right away just how hard it was going to be to not say a word. “We went to dinner one night to celebrate the launch of a new product that was finally on the market and on the way home we were jumped by 3 men.” She had barely begun and already he felt sick. “I fought so hard and I managed to get away from the man who was holding me, but I realized one of them had a gun and he had it up to my dad’s head.” He saw the pain in her face reliving that moment and he wanted to tell her to stop, but he also really believed it might help her to finally talk about it. 

“My dad was screaming at me to run, but I knew if I did they would kill him. I knew his life was in my hands so I let them grab me again.” She shivered and rubbed her arms. “I could feel his hand inside the back of my pants, he was trying to pull them down. I knew what was coming.” Jaime felt anger boiling inside him. Please, he thought, please say you got away before - He couldn’t even finish the thought. “I didn’t know what to do. My dad was still yelling, begging me to fight and get away. I was bigger than the man holding me, and I had already got away from him once. But I was sure that if I just let the man have his way with me, maybe all three of them - they would spare my father’s life.” 

Jaime wanted to hug her so badly. He wanted to pull her into his arms and figure out some way to take away her pain. But he knew he had to let her get it all out first. “Before anything worse happened another man showed up. He started fighting with the man holding me and I was free again. But it was a mad scramble. The man was yelling at me to run, my dad was yelling at me to run - and then there was a gunshot. I’ve blacked out a lot of it, everything was happening at once. But I remember the moment I met my dad’s eye and I knew I had to get away. I could see how desperately he wanted to save me and if I didn’t go we were both going to die. So I ran away. I fucking ran away. I stepped over the dead body of the man who tried to save us and I took off. I heard the second gunshot and I kept running. I knew my dad was dead. I knew it.” 

Jaime had no idea how she hadn’t broken down yet because he felt tears stinging his own eyes just listening to the heartbreaking story. “I found out for sure a few hours later at the police station. They were both dead. For absolutely nothing. Maybe a little cash. Maybe an expensive watch. Nothing that really mattered.” She looked absolutely disgusted and he completely understood. “The man, his name was Renly, he tried to do something good. He tried to be a hero and look where it got him.” She paused for a moment and stared at her hands. “This is going to sound so so so stupid, but I actually fell a little bit in love with him - with a dead man. He saved my life. I had resigned to staying there and I probably would have died, but when he came along everything changed and I’m still alive because of him.” 

She took a shaky deep breath. “I tried to move on, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t live in a world where things like that happen. Where such vile, evil people exist. So I left it all behind. I gave everything to Podrick - our home, our cars, the business - and moved to the cabin. And that’s where I finally found the peace I needed to continue living.” 

That was when she finally looked at him and he knew she was almost done. “I don’t trust anyone anymore. I’m afraid to be around people. I’m afraid to go back to the city. Even the thought of being anywhere near those streets again makes me physically nauseous,” Brienne explained. “That’s why I couldn’t go to the hospital. Too many people. It’s in the city. I just couldn’t do it.” 

She was begging him to understand with her eyes, pleading. So Jaime nodded and reached for her hand again. “It’s okay. Everything is okay,” he said gently. “I won’t ever ask you to leave here. If that forest and that cabin is what you need I’ll make sure that’s what you get.” 

“You’re the first person other than Podrick that I have even spoken to in 2 years,” she whispered softly. 

Jaime grinned at her. “Was it really so bad?” 

“Yes,” she laughed. “You’re a huge, stubborn pain in the ass and you know it.” She squeezed his hand. “But you have your charms as well.” Brienne was quiet for a moment and then she spoke softly. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. For taking care of me. For saving my life.” 

He nodded and thought for a moment, collecting his thoughts before he finally shared them. “Brienne, I know you think the world is full of awful people - and I won’t lie - there are some really bad ones. But there are also some really great ones too. Think about Renly - he was your hero. Think about your father - he was also your hero. And your friend Podrick. I’ve never met him and I know already that he’s one of the good ones. And there’s Davos too -“

“And you,” she interrupted. “Don’t forget yourself.” 

“I was saving the best for last,” he teased, reaching out to touch her cheek. Brienne closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. “Listen, if you want to remain isolated and alone for the rest of your life I will take you right back to that cabin when you’re feeling better and after Bronn deals with Boo Boo. You’ll still have to deal with my visits though because I’m not going anywhere.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “But if you ever feel like you’re ready to take a few baby steps I’ll be right by your side while you do.” 

“I don’t even know what that would look like,” she said, opening her big blue eyes. 

“Me neither, but we can figure it out together.” Jaime leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Maybe we could start with having your friend Podrick join us for dinner?” he suggested. 

“Oh fuck, what day is it?” Brienne gasped. Jaime looked at his phone and told her. “Podrick will be coming with supplies any minute now and if I don’t show up he’s going to worry.” 

“Where do you meet him?” Jaime asked. “I could go.”

“I only know how to get there from the cabin. I wouldn’t know how to find him on the roads,” she sighed. 

“Do you know his cell number? We could call him,” Jaime suggested. 

Brienne shook her head. “His number is in my cell phone, in the shed.” Of course she had a cell phone in the wonderous shed of technology. 

“Well I guess I can go for a drive and check the roads around the woods and see if I can find him,” he shrugged. 

“I’m so sorry. I just don’t want him to freak out and go looking for me with Boo Boo still out there.” She looked extremely anxious. “Pod is even more of a city boy than you. There’s no way he would know what to do if he ran into a grizzly.” 

Jaime pulled out his phone. “Well you’re going to need to make a quick video so he knows I’m not a serial killer who’s holding you hostage.” 

“Right. Yes. Okay,” she swallowed hard. 

“Ready?” he asked. Brienne nodded and he started the video. 

“Oh um, hi Podrick. I just want you to know that Jaime is a good guy. He actually saved my life yesterday. I was attacked by a bear and he saved me. I’m staying in his trailer until we can deal with the bear. And I’m under strict orders to stay in bed for a couple days. I’m okay though. Thanks to Jaime and his doctor friend.” Jaime couldn’t help but smile listening to her. “So yeah, you can trust Jaime, I promise.” She gave a nod to let him know she was done and Jaime stopped the video. 

“Perfect. Wish me luck,” he added, flashing a smile. 

“Good luck,” she replied, smiling back at him. Jaime was about to turn and leave but he spun back around and leaned in to kiss her. She gasped in surprise but kissed him back, meeting every ounce of passion he was kissing her with. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered when they broke apart. “I swear I didn’t mean anything I said back in that shed. I was just scared. Terrified.” 

“Hey, hey, shhhh, it’s okay baby, I know,” he cooed, leaning his forehead against hers. “I knew then and I know now. Your kisses give you away,” he teased, grazing her bottom lip with his finger. He pressed his lips to hers one more time. “Okay, I’ll be back soon - hopefully with Podrick.” Jaime gave her a little wave and then headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a very brief description of attempted rape. Nothing graphic and it’s very short.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brienne POV time! This is a very reflective chapter and I hope I’m able to convey her confusion. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy ❤️❤️❤️

Brienne stroked Stella’s soft fur and the puppy signed contentedly. As mad as she had been at Jaime at first for getting her a puppy - she was well over it. She absolutely loved the dog and she knew the feeling was mutual. It was like they were meant to find their way to each other and it had been Jaime that navigated their destiny. 

Her mind wandered to the handsome man who had saved her life, Stella’s too. Brienne’s heart thudded and she knew exactly what it meant. She had fallen for him - hard and fast. She’d been in denial about it for quite some time, but after everything that had happened the day before she couldn’t pretend it wasn’t true any longer. 

I’m in love with him, she thought. The overwhelming sensation of fluttering in her chest took her mind off the pain from the bear attack. You’re being ridiculous, she told herself. This is no different than the way you felt about Renly after he saved your life. 

But it was different. Completely different, and she knew that in her heart. She hadn’t fucked Renly before he saved her life. She hadn’t hurt him either. He was nothing more than a kind and heroic stranger. Jaime was so much more than that. He jumped in front of a bear to protect her. He sacrificed himself so she could get away - and all this was AFTER she treated him like garbage. 

Obviously it was a coping mechanism. She hadn’t meant any of it. The sex had been incredible and the kisses were magic. But she was scared of how he was making her feel. In his arms she could actually imagine living a normal life again. She could imagine moving out of the woods, being around people, finding a job maybe. These were things she’d put in her past. She believed she would live in that cabin alone until the day she died, however long or short that might be. 

Jaime was throwing her for a loop and it was so scary. There were moments she wanted to run far away from him, but when she pictured herself trying to do that the pain of never seeing him again was too much to bear. You barely know the man, she told herself, but that certainly didn’t help to rationalize the strong feelings she had for him or the connection she felt. 

“Okay, get it together,” Brienne said out loud. We’ve been through a lot in a short amount of time and you’re just emotional and grateful, she told herself. She had been going through these mental gymnastics over and over, but it always came back to knowing in her heart that he was a good man and they had something special going on between them. 

Why am I fighting it so hard? She wondered. Other than it being scary she had no idea why she couldn’t just let go and let herself really feel everything that was in her heart. What’s the worst that can happen? She wondered, trying to think through the confusion. It doesn’t work out and you end up with a broken heart, back in the woods like you’d already planned, was the conclusion she came to first, but then a far worse idea came to mind - you both fall madly in love and then he dies and you lose him like everyone else you’ve loved. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach she realized that’s exactly why she was resisting. She couldn’t deal with losing another person she loved. But she also couldn’t deal with letting him go. So where did that leave her? 

Brienne let out a frustrated sigh and Stella snuggled a little closer. She closed her eyes for a moment and thought about the shed. It felt so real and so right. It certainly didn’t feel like the notch in his bedpost that Brienne had accused him of. She knew what they shared was much more than him just trying to get into her pants. The man was stunningly gorgeous and he certainly didn’t need to go after some recluse living in the woods if he wanted a good fuck. Brienne was quite sure he had plenty of women who would happily satisfy his needs. Yet there he was, spending so much time trying to get to know her - spending so much time annoying her, she thought, smiling. 

Was it really possible that he felt something for her too? Brienne was really trying to wrap her head around that thought and it was so difficult. It’s not like she was a sexy vixen by any stretch of the imagination. She chopped her own hair with a knife, dressed in flannel and unflattering jeans, didn’t bother with makeup or anything to change her appearance like she used to before she moved off the grid. She touched her hair and suddenly wished she had a stylist who could fix it up for her. 

Why are you doing this? A voice interrupted. He doesn’t care about your stupid hair or he would have been gone a long time ago. Still though, she couldn’t help her desire to be a little more femenine, a little more put together and a little less feral - not for him, but for herself. She hadn’t felt like a woman for a long time - not until he’d touched her body and made love to her in that shed. Her heart pounded and Brienne realized that she was getting herself really turned on thinking about it. She wanted him again. She wanted him badly. Does he want that too? Brienne wondered. 

Once things were sorted out with Podrick she would find out. Brienne felt a tingling in her groin at the thought of touching him, maybe even enticing him a little to see where it would lead. She wanted to feel his hot mouth on her skin and feel him slide into her as he filled her up. She wanted to taste his kiss again and enjoy the way her nipples grew hard when they rubbed against his chest. But most of all she wanted to feel that emotional connection again - and she wanted to know that he felt it too. 

With her cheeks flushed and her pussy starting to ache Brienne forced herself to think about something else. She wondered if Jaime had found Podrick yet? And how Podrick was reacting to him? She cursed herself for not telling Pod about Jaime so he would have had some idea and not been completely blindsided. But how could she have known that any of this would happen? How could she have been prepared for such a thing? 

Brienne wondered what the men would think of each other once things were sorted out and they were properly introduced. It was really important to her that they got along and liked each other. Podrick was so special to her. He was also sweet and bit shy at times, but he could be very charming and charismatic when he needed to be. She had no qualms whatsoever about leaving him to run her business because she knew he would run it with honesty and integrity that would honor her father’s name. She had signed everything over to him, but Podrick insisted on putting together a trust with a significant amount of money in it just in case she ever decided she needed it. They had argued profusely about it, but it was his one stipulation and she had to finally give in. So somewhere, in some bank, there were several millions in her name, which she had always found ironic while living completely off the grid. Podrick paid for all the supplies he brought her - another thing he insisted on and she eventually gave in to. 

She truly hoped that Jaime and Pod had enough in common to take to one another, but she knew they both cared about her and that alone would likely lead them to develop a positive relationship. Unless their protective sides were to sense some reason to come out - which would be a total and utter disaster. It’s going to be fine, Brienne assured herself. 

There were other things to worry about - like Jaime’s family. His father sounded like a real peach. But Jaime spoke highly of his brother and she had a strange desire to meet him. She knew there was also a sister and some nieces and nephews. The sister factor made her nervous. It wasn’t just any sister - Jaime had a twin. And Brienne knew that she didn’t have a history of relating well to other women - she’d always got along better with men. 

Suddenly Brienne laughed out loud. She had got so far ahead of herself that she was already planning family visits - when she honestly didn’t know what the future held for her and Jaime - or if she was even truly ready to be around people again. 

There was a loud banging on the door and immediately Stella jumped off her lap and started to bark. Brienne’s chest clenched with anxiety and she suddenly wished she could take back all her crazy thoughts and feelings about being ready to integrate back into society. Clearly she wasn’t prepared to deal with a stranger at the door, let alone a life where interacting with strangers would be a regular occurance. Just don’t say a word and they will go away, she told herself. 

“Jaime? Where the fuck are you? Hey! Lannister?” a gruff voice yelled. “I found this guy wandering around in the woods on your property. Thought you might want to have a little chat with him about trespassing.” 

All the dots connected immediately and Brienne couldn’t stop herself from blurting out. “Podrick?” she called loudly. 

“Brienne? Oh my God, is that you?” His voice was teeming with concern. “Are you okay?” 

“Shut up,” the other voice snapped. Suddenly the door flew open and someone shoved Podrick inside. The man appeared right behind him. “Who are you?” he snapped, looking at Brienne. Stella was sitting at his feet growling loudly. The man bent down and reached out a hand. Stella sniffed him a few times and then let him pet her. So much for a guard dog, Brienne thought. 

She met Pod’s eye and smiled. Brienne was so thankful he was there and safe - well, she assumed he was safe. “Who are you?” she shot back, glaring at the man. 

“Bronn,” he grumbled. “Now are you going to tell me who the two of you are and what you’ve done with the beautiful dumb fucker I call my boss?”


End file.
